Women who put on weight in pregnancy risk passing on heart disease to their children

Women who gain too much weight during pregnancy risk giving their baby health problems in later life, research reveals.

Pregnant women should ensure they lead a healthy lifestyle, with even the period just before birth being “fundamental” to giving their children the best chance, experts said.

The findings were published as part of a major European obesity project, which concluded that strategies must urgently be developed to prevent obesity in girls and in women of childbearing age.

Louise Silverton, director for midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives, said women should try to be an ideal weight before they become pregnant.

She said: “This report adds more to our knowledge about the importance of the environment in which the foetus is nurtured.

“After birth, women need support to develop healthy patterns of eating and exercise for themselves and their family. For women who are overweight or obese they need support and signposting to access weight-loss services to ensure that they are an ideal weight before they embark on their next pregnancy.”