title: Pregravid weight, gestational weight gain and current weight of women delivered of twins.
abstract: To determine whether large gestational weight gains result in higher maternal body weight within two years post-partum, we administered an anonymous survey to 423 mothers of twins at the Annual Twinsday Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio, in 1989 and 1990. Data collected included pregravid and current weight, age and parity, gestational weight gain and length of gestation. Data were grouped by patient age (18-24 years, 25-34 years and 35-44 years), parity (primipara or multipara) and length of gestation as preterm (less than 37 weeks) and term (greater than or equal to 37 weeks). Statistical analysis included paired t-tests, unpaired t-tests and chi-square as appropriate. Except for multiparas in the oldest age category, the mean current weight was higher than pregravid weight for each age and age/parity category. Comparison across age categories showed in pattern of increasing pregravid weight with increasing age for the total study sample (all women) and for primiparas; among multiparas, this trend was not as evident. Our findings suggest that large weight gains in twin gestations do not result in higher maternal body weight within two years postpartum. Such gains are associated with better intrauterine growth and should be considered when formulating weight gain recommendations for twin gestations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luke
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Keith
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology; D010298:Parity; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000502:physiology*; D014427:Twins; D015430:Weight Gain