In response to the NICE consultation on draft recommendations on weight management in pregnancy and after childbirth, Mr Tahir Mahmood, Vice President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said, “There are pregnancy risks attached to mothers with a high BMI (>35) and we need to look at new evidence on the effects of weight gain on mother and baby, and the lifestyle and medical interventions that can help make lives healthier.
“Equally, we need to get the message across that mothers should be encouraged to work towards reaching their pre-pregnancy weight as this is an important indicator of future health.
“Images in the media of excessively thin women portrayed as the ‘ideal’ body shape also mean that women are under constant pressure to take drastic steps to lose weight quickly. We have to provide information on the acceptable levels of weight gain and weight loss during and after pregnancy.”
19 February 2010
Notes
To view the NICE documents, click here.