Weight gain during pregnancy may be linked to daughter's later growth patterns

Rapid weight gain in the first and last months of pregnancy may play a key role in the development of excess fat tissue in children and teens, according to a new study by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin — at least if These kids are girls

In the study, published today in the journal Obesity, nutrition science researchers looked at more than 300 pregnant women and followed their children between the ages of 5 and 14

"We wanted to understand whether different patterns of weight change during pregnancy could affect a child's growth over time, or a child's potential to produce excess fat tissue," said Beth Garkoy, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.

In this study, weight changes during pregnancy generally followed four distinct patterns

The researchers found that among girls who gave birth to a fourth group in the study, those who gained weight faster at the onset and end of pregnancy, had the highest body mass index measurements, the largest waist circumference and the highest body fat percentage from ages 5 to 14

There were no clear patterns in the boys' pregnancy weight and childhood body composition in this study

The researchers stress that finding patterns in children's body composition during pregnancy and throughout childhood is not the same as finding causal relationships, so further research is needed

"This study shows us that there may be gender differences in children's body composition, depending on the environment they are exposed to in utero," Widen said

Natalie Burns, Michael Daniels and Grant Backlund, University of Florida; Rachel Rickman, Saralyn F.