Most women have dreamed about having a child. During pregnancy, every woman will do her best to maintain the health of her baby. They may change their lifestyle and implementing a healthy diet to give the baby more nutrients. It is undeniable that these two factors play an important role in pregnancy.

During pregnancy, it is not uncommon for women to gain weight. Obesity during pregnancy can cause complications or health problems, both for the mother and the child. For them, changing their lifestyle and implementing a healthy dietis really important. A recent study has shown how physical activity and a healthy diet can have a positive effect on the health of obese pregnant women and their children.

In the study, researchers analysed the effect of lifestyle and dietary changes in obese pregnant women. Some of them were asked to undergo regular exercise and implement a healthy diet during pregnancy. Meanwhile, some others became a control group, and they did not make any changes to their lifestyle. Further examinations are carried out three years after deliveryto find out about the health condition of the mother and child,

The results showed that a healthy lifestyle and diet could help improve the unborn baby’s heart health. Children from the intervention group had a lower resting heart rate of up to 5 bpm when compared to children from the control group. A higher resting heart rate in adults is often associated with a risk of hypertension and cardiovascular dysfunction.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Google Search Images

Source(s):

• Dalrymple, K.V., et al (2020). Adiposity and cardiovascular outcomes in three-year-old children of participants in UPBEAT, an RCT of a complex intervention in pregnant women with obesity. Pediatric Obesity, DOI: 10.1111 / ijpo.12725.
• Science Daily - Healthy diet and exercise during pregnancy could lead to healthier children (2020). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200911110804.htm, 15 September 2020.