New research suggests that shedding excess pounds before conception can reduce the risk of infant death.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health found that achieving a healthy weight before becoming pregnant and gaining an appropriate amount of weight during pregnancy significantly reduce the risk of the baby dying in his or her first year of life.

Every year, approximately 24,000 infants die in their first year of life in the United States. The U.S. rate of 6.1 deaths per 1,000 live births ranks 26th in the world, despite a 20 percent decline in the U.S. infant mortality rate from 1990 to 2010.

"One in three women start pregnancy at an unhealthy weight, and more than half of women gain either too much or too little weight during pregnancy," Lisa Bodnar, lead author of the study, said in a statement. "While more research needs to be conducted, we are hopeful that this study can be used to start a dialogue between physicians and women on the importance of not only gaining a healthy amount of weight while pregnant, but also reducing excess weight before they become pregnant as a potential way to improve infant survival."

For the study, researchers examined records from more than 1.2 million births that occurred from 2003 to 2011 in Pennsylvania, including 5,530 infant deaths. Infant deaths were defined as the death of an infant before his or her first birthday.

The mothers were classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese, which was divided into three grades, based on their pre-pregnancy body mass index -- a measure of weight versus height.

"Obesity and infant mortality are among the most critical public health issues today," co-author Katherine Himes said in a statement. "Our study highlights the importance of discussing weight loss with obese women prior to pregnancy because losing weight during pregnancy may increase the risk of her baby dying. We hope this information empowers providers, including obstetricians, family doctors and primary care physicians, to discuss the benefits of preconception weight loss with all obese, reproductive-age women."

The findings are detailed in the journal Obesity.