While it is said that women should eat for two during pregnancy, excessive weight gain may be a sign of adverse health issues for mothers and can raise risk of death, finds a study. The impact of excessive weight gain during pregnancy is usually associated with greater postpartum weight retention, and complications such as gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension, as well as a higher chance of requiring a C-section. However, its long-term implications have hitherto remained unknown.

The researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) found that for women with body mass index (BMI) in the normal and overweight range, excessive weight gain during pregnancy was associated with a 9 per cent to 12 per cent increase of all-cause mortality risk respectively. The findings were published in The Lancet.