Weight gain during pregnancy above recommended levels can have a "profound" impact on a growing fetus.
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However, a new Tasmanian research project aims to improve the health outcomes of mothers and their babies, through a multidisciplinary model of care.
Funded by the Clifford Craig Foundation, dietitian and diabetes educator Sharon Lucciano will lead the project as part of the organisation's 2020 medical research grants.
The project aims to implement the Healthy Outcomes for the Future program as part of routine care provided at antenatal clinics in the state's North West.
A collaborative project between midwives, nutrition, exercise and education experts, Mrs Lucciano said education and ongoing support were key to improving outcomes.
"We want to build capacity. We don't want to step in at the end of the program and have services there that can't stay, because there is no funding for it," she said.
"We feel this is a really important program. We do need to start at the beginning of life, not at the end.
"That's why we have focused on this very important research within the antenatal clinics. We do feel like we can make a difference."
In other news:
Maternal obesity and gaining weight above recommendations can result in adverse outcomes for women and their babies, including gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, premature birth, macrosomia, postpartum hemorrhage, and neonatal death.
Mrs Lucciano said the project evolved from her experience in antenatal clinics and observations of a population with a high body mass index.
A recent audit estimated 54.6 per cent of pregnant women who presented at antenatal clinics in the states North-West were overweight or obese - about 10 per cent higher than the national average.
Through her research, Mrs Lucciano said she hoped to expand on existing knowledge around how a pregnant woman's dietary behaviour and exercise patterns are influenced by interpersonal, institutional and community factors.
"We recognise now that in pregnancy, weight gain above the recommended level can have a profound effect on a growing fetus. That's why we believe this project is really important."
