Pregnancy may increase a woman's foot size permanently, a new study has claimed. Researchers from the University of Iowa found that pregnancy may slightly increase the length and width of women's feet.
The study measured the arch height and foot length of 49 women during their
pregnancy and five months after they had given birth.
Twenty-nine of the women in the study were first-time moms; 17 were second-time moms, and three were third-time moms.
On average, the women's arch height decreased, and in turn, their foot length increased about 0.1 to 0.4 inches during this period, MyHealthNewsDaily reported. Overall, about 60 to 70 per cent of the women had longer feet and shorter arches after childbirth, the study found.
"I heard so many women talking about having to go buy new shoes after pregnancy," said Neil Segal, an associate professor at the university.