title: Childbearing and obesity in women: weight before, during, and after pregnancy.
abstract: Weight gain and the development of obesity during midlife are strong independent predictors of cardiovascular disease, particularly among women, as well as the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and early mortality. Primiparity and maternal body size before pregnancy affect long-term postpartum weight retention and the development of obesity among women of reproductive age. As a modifiable risk factor, body weight during the preconception, prenatal, and postpartum periods may present critical windows to implement interventions to prevent weight retention and the development of overweight and obesity in women of childbearing age.
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Foundation Research Institute, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Division of Research, 2000 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, USA. epg@dor.kaiser.org
authors.forename: Erica P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Gunderson
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010298:Parity; D036801:Parturition / Q000502:physiology*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D016742:Preconception Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome