Should Pregnant Patients Gain More Weight?

Abstract

Are physicians starving pregnant patients to the detriment of the child? Less severe dietary restriction among these patients might decrease the incidence of infants of low birth weight, the infant mortality rate, and the risk of brain dysfunction. With the data presently available, no one can criticize the physician who continues to encourage his patient to curtail calories. However, there is increasing reason to take the opposite view and permit at least thin patients to eat heartily.