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Excessive gestational weight gain may impact long-term weight retention

Dominican and black women who gained more than weight during pregnancy than recommended by current Institute of Medicine Guidelines were at an increased risk for being overweight 7 years postpartum, according to recently published data. 

“Gestational weight gain greater than the [Institute of Medicine] recommendations has long-term implications for weight-related health. The findings also support that normal and modestly overweight women may be more physiologically sensitive to effects of high gestational weight gain, and, therefore, need to be further supported to gain weight appropriately during pregnancy,” Elizabeth Widen, PhD, RD, postdoctoral fellow, New York Obesity Research Center in the department of medicine, Columbia University, said in a press release.

Widen and colleagues evaluated weight changes in 302 women during pregnancy and through 7 years after giving birth to assess the correlation between gestational weight gain and long-term postpartum weight retention among black and Dominican women.

Prior to pregnancy, 5% of participants were underweight, 53% were normal weight, 20% were overweight and 22% were obese, according to a press release.

Sixty-four percent of women gained more weight than recommended by the Institute of Medicine Guidelines.

Lower prepregnancy BMI was associated with greater gestational weight gain and greater long-term postpartum weight retention, according to the researchers.

Results demonstrated that at 7 years postpartum, 38% of women were obese.

Widen and colleagues noted the importance of advising women about the long-term health implications associated with excessive gestational weight gain. 

“During the course of this study, there was an increase in obesity nationwide, likely driven by changes in food policies and the retail food environment, and increases in portion sizes coupled with physical activity patterns that did not balance out increases in energy intake. These trends likely affected all our study participants, but our research shows that in addition, women who experienced excessive gestational weight gain also experienced sustained increases in fat mass and weight,” study co-author Andrew Rundle, DrPH, associate professor of epidemiology, said in a press release. – by Casey Hower

Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.