Association between maternal weight gain and birth weight.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between maternal weight gain and birth weight less than 3,000 g and greater than or equal to 4,000 g in underweight (body mass index [BMI] less than 19.8 kg/m(2)), normal weight (BMI 19.8-26.0 kg/m(2)), overweight (BMI 26.1-29.0 kg/m(2)), and obese (BMI greater than 29.0 kg/m(2)) women, with emphasis on the use of the American Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations in Denmark.


METHODS
We analyzed data from 2,248 women with singleton, term pregnancies. The relationship between weight gain and risk of birth weight less than 3,000 g and greater than or equal to 4,000 g was examined in the four BMI groups, and use of IOM recommendations was tested by logistic regression analyses.


RESULTS
We found an inverse relationship between maternal weight gain and the proportion of infants with a birth weight less than 3,000 g. Birth weight greater than or equal to 4,000 g increased with an increasing weight gain in underweight and normal-weight women, but the association was less apparent in overweight and obese women. Underweight women seemed to benefit from gaining more weight than recommended by the IOM, because the odds ratio (OR) of birth weight less than 3,000 g was 0.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.1-0.9) and the OR was 1.7 for birthweight greater than or equal to 4,000 g (95% CI 0.8-3.6). The normal-weight women had an increased risk of birth weight less than 3,000 g (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.5-3.7) if weight gain was below the recommended range, and the OR of birth weight greater than or equal to 4,000 g was 1.9 (95% CI 1.5-2.5) when the women gained more than recommended.


CONCLUSIONS
The IOM recommendations may provide a basis for Danish recommendations to pregnant women, although the upper recommended limit for underweight women may have to be increased.
Rode
Line
L
Ultrasound Clinic 4002, Department of Fetal Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hvidovre Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. linerode@dadlnet.dk
Hegaard
Hanne K
HK
Kjaergaard
Hanne
H
Møller
Lars F
LF
Tabor
Ann
A
Ottesen
Bent
B
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012307:Risk Factors; D013851:Thinness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*