International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Light exercise during pregnancy can improve the future health of a child and control its weight in the womb, according to scientists
This may help reduce the infant's obesity risk in later life, the researchers from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, said.

The study examined 84 first time mothers and found that infants born to those who exercised were an average 143 grams lighter than those born to mothers who were inactive.

"Aerobic exercise alters the maternal environment in some way that has an impact on nutrient stimulation of foetal growth, resulting in a reduction in offspring birth weight," research head Dr Paul Hofman, from the University of Auckland, said.

The research also found that the lighter babies were no shorter in length and there was no evidence they lacked nutrition.

A recent study by healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente found that extreme obesity is affecting more children in the US than ever before.

It discovered more than seven per cent of boys and five per cent of girls are extremely obese and one in twenty are a full 50 per cent above what doctors consider healthy.