Poor weight gain puts newborns at risk

The number of underweight babies being born in B.C. has public health officers worried. They're telling pregnant women it's not only what they eat but also how much that is important.

How much weight a woman gains during pregnancy can affect how much her baby weighs at birth.

Average weight gain during pregnancy should be between 25 to 30 pounds, according to Health Canada.

In B.C., health officials say, more than five per cent of babies born each year weigh less than 5.5 pounds. In the province's Interior, that figure translates to about 300 babies.

"Low birth-weight babies may be associated with ... heart problems, lung problems, digestive problems, sometimes even learning disabilities later in life," said Paul Hasselback, senior medical health officer with the Interior Health Authority.

A recent survey suggests most pregnant women know maintaining a healthy diet is important, but only three per cent of respondents knew eating enough is also crucial.

Just as disturbing, said Shelly Inglis Allan, a low-birth-weight prevention officer in B.C.'s Interior, some women intentionally avoid gaining weight. "It often came back to societal pressures around being thin," she said.

• LINK: Interior Health Authority: Pregnancy & Nutrition

Gossip magazines perpetuate the image, criticizing celebrity Britney Spears for not shedding her baby weight. It's also been reported that actress Angelina Jolie, who is pregnant, "hates her swollen body."

Courtney Lang of Kelowna is four months pregnant. She says she's gained about three pounds already, and is gearing up to gain another 20.

Average weight gain is between 25 to 30 pounds, according to Health Canada's guidelines.

"The image in general is thin, thin, thin," Lang said. "They don't want to lose their figure. They don't want to eat because they think they will get fat or big, and they won't be able to lose it."

Lang said she's worried about the pain of childbirth, not her waistline.

Allan said there are many risk factors, including: