- Home>
- Specialties>
- Women's Health>
- Summary and Comment
Maternal Weight Gain During Pregnancy Leaves a Big Impression
Greater weight gain led to higher birthweight independent of genetic factors.
To determine whether the association between maternal weight gain during pregnancy and neonatal weight is independent of genetic factors, researchers conducted a cohort study using birth registry data from more than 1 million singleton term births to more than 500,000 mothers in Michigan and New Jersey from 1989 through 2003. A within-subject study design (in which outcomes of sequential pregnancies were evaluated in each mother) allowed the authors to control for genetic confounders.
Many women exceeded the recommended limits for weight gain during a singleton pregnancy. Relative to a weight gain of 8–10 kg (reference category), mothers who gained 20–22 kg had infants who weighed a mean of 103.8 g more. Mothers who gained >24 kg had infants who weighed a mean of 148.9 grams more. Overall, for each kilogram increase in maternal weight gain, birthweight rose by 7.35 g.
Comment: Although the authors were unable to determine prepregnancy body-mass index, the large sample size and within-subject design of this study add credence to the results, which show that when a mother gains excessive weight during pregnancy — independent of her genetic makeup — her baby also will weigh more. The ramifications of this finding extend beyond childbirth to the lifelong health of the child (e.g., obesity, diabetes) and should prompt us to provide emphatic preconceptual counseling about pregnancy weight gain and to alert mothers to the Institute of Medicine guidelines (JW Womens Health Jul 2 2009).
— Diane J. Angelini, EdD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, NEA-BC
Published in Journal Watch Women's Health September 2, 2010
Citation(s):
Ludwig DS and Currie J. The association between pregnancy weight gain and birthweight: A within-family comparison. Lancet 2010 Aug 5; [e-pub ahead of print]. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60751-9)
Reader Remarks:
Review and add to remarks on this article
- Pregnancy weight gain
Rosanne Gephart, 7 Sep 2010 3:20 PM EST
With out a before pregnancy BMI , I find this difficult to apply to practice. A woman with a BMI... [more] - Maternal weight gain implication on pregnancy outcome
Abid Ahmed, Saudi Arabia/ Royal Commission Medical Centre, Yanbu, 7 Sep 2010 3:20 PM EST
Although affirmation of the established fact that maternal weight gain directly co relates to child weight at birth,it re-inforce the... [more]
Your Remark:
To ensure that your Reader Remark is not formatted as one long paragraph, precede new paragraphs with either a blank line or an indentation.