Systematic review shows maternal body image impacts gestational weight gain and outcomes, suggesting areas for future research.
Maternal body image concerns assessed before or during pregnancy were frequently associated with higher or excessive GWG. Evidence for associations with maternal depressive symptoms, breastfeeding outcomes, and neonatal outcomes was more limited and heterogeneous and should be interpreted with caution. Future research using standardized measures and longitudinal designs is needed to clarify directionality and mechanisms underlying these associations.
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Pathirathna et al. (2026) studied this question.
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