Weight gain between pregnancies can increase diabetes risk

Women who put on weight between pregnancies can be increasing their chances of developing diabetes, while losing weight between children can lower the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), according to a new study from the United States .
The research, by scientists at Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, found that women who put on between 12 and 17 pounds between their first and second pregnancies were more than two times more likely to develop GDM in the second pregnancy, as compared with women who experienced a consistent weight during that time.
However, women who lost over six pounds between their first and second pregnancies saw their chances of developing GDM in the second pregnancy going down by around 50 per cent, as compared with those whose weight remained about the same.
Researcher Samantha Ehrlich commented “The results also suggest that the effects of body mass gains may be greater among women of normal weight in their first pregnancy, whereas the effects of losses in body mass appear greater among overweight or obese women.”
She added “Taken together, the results support the avoidance of gestational weight retention and postpartum weight gain to decrease the risk of GDM in a second pregnancy, as well as the promotion of postpartum weight loss in overweight or obese women, particularly those with a history of GDM.”