New mothers who manage to get enough shut eye between feeds are more likely to get their figures back than those who are sleep deprived. The very latest research from Harvard Medical School and published in December 2007 in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that there may be a crucial link between sleep deprivation and inability to lose weight once the baby has arrived.

According to the researchers, an extra two hours a night can make a major difference because it is thought that sleep triggers hormone changes which make women hungrier. The study of 1000 new mothers found that those who were sleeping for five or less hours when their babies were six months old were three times more likely to be carrying an extra 11 pounds at their baby’s first birthday than those who got between 6 and 8 hours.

 

It’s been known for some time that sleep deprivation is associated with weight gain and obesity but this study shows that getting enough sleep – even one or two hours more – may be as important as healthy diet and exercise for new mothers who want to return to their pre-pregnancy weight. Quality sleep is, of course, hard to achieve on a regular basis with a crying baby but the important message of this study is that getting the proper amount of sleep – between 6 to 8 hours – every night is not a luxury but a necessity. It’s essential not just for weight control but for the overall health of a new mum and presents a great opportunity for partners, family and friends to help with the baby.

Overweight pregnant mothers are statistically more likely to have children with a higher amount of body fat by the time they turn nine years old, research has revealed.

A study, led by Catharine Gale and Professor Cyrus Cooper from the University of Southampton, found that children whose mothers had a higher pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) or had fatter upper arms during late pregnancy were significantly more likely to have a higher amount of body fat themselves at the age of nine. Women who smoked during pregnancy also had fatter children, the study discovered. The researchers carried out a whole body scan of 216 nine-year-old children, whose mothers had participated in a study of nutrition during pregnancy.

The study investigated the relationship between maternal size in pregnancy, early growth and body composition at the age of nine years.

Previous research has shown that babies are born with a higher amount of body fat if their mothers are significantly overweight during pregnancy. The latest research indicates that this carries on into childhood, with possible long-term effects for health.

Dear Reader,

It has been exciting reading your comments and feedback and I’m glad to hear that you are enjoying the information and nutrition news.

Do let me know if you have any burning questions on nutrition or your health and especially if you read something in the news that seems to contradict the previous advice that the scientists have published. This is always frustrating and can leave people confused as to what to eat or drink particularly when even the researchers can’t agree amongst themselves.

If you have a favourite recipe that you think other women would enjoy, then do send it in, of course you will be mentioned, and I will do the Spotlight on one of the ingredients.

I wanted to publish Natural News because it means you can get nutrition and health information every month and also to highlight what is the latest research and news. Books are wonderful but by the time I do the research, then the writing, then the manuscript goes to the publisher and gets printed we are talking between one and two years before it gets published. So research and information which can be really exciting can take so long to get to reach the people who need to hear about it.

In December 2006, I had an article published in Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynaecology called ‘Nutritional Supplements in Pregnancy – commercial push or evidence based?’ and the article shows that taking certain vitamins, minerals and fatty acids in pregnancy can have a staggering effect on the health of  the mother and baby including prevention of pre-eclampsia, miscarriage, preterm birth, low birthweight, gestational diabetes, cleft palate and lip, post-natal depression and the long term health of the baby including intellectual development. But unfortunately, information like this can sometimes end up stuck in the academic world and not get to the women who need to know. Natural News is a way of remedying that.

Kind regards,

Marilyn Glenville PhD