Research brief: Inter-pregnancy weight gain raises risk

Women who gain weight after a first pregnancy are more likely to suffer complications during a second pregnancy, according to a Swedish study of more than 150,000 women. Those who gained three or more BMI units after their first pregnancy were at increased risk of pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension and diabetes, caesarean delivery, stillbirth and large-for-gestational-age birth. The increased risk of complications with weight gain was seen even in those who were not medically overweight.