Nutrition and exercise prevent excess weight gain in overweight pregnant women.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of a Nutrition and Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program (NELIP) for overweight (OW) and obese (OB) pregnant women on pregnancy weight gain, birth weight, and maternal weight retention at 2 months postpartum.


METHODS
This is a single-arm intervention matched by prepregnant body mass index, age, and parity to a historical cohort (4:1). Women with a prepregnancy body mass index of > or = 25.0 kg x m(-2) (N = 65) participated in a NELIP starting at 16-20 wk of pregnancy, continuing until delivery. NELIP consisted of an individualized nutrition plan with total energy intake of approximately 2000 kcal x d(-1) (8360 kJ x d(-1)) and 40%-55% of total energy intake from carbohydrate. Exercise consisted of a walking program (30% HR reserve), three to four times per week, using a pedometer to count steps. Matched historical cohort (MC; N = 260) was from a large local perinatal database.


RESULTS
Weight gained by women on the NELIP was 6.8 +/- 4.1 kg (0.38 +/- 0.2 kg x wk(-1)), with a total pregnancy weight gain of 12.0 +/- 5.7 kg. Excessive weight gain occurred before NELIP began at 16 wk of gestation. Eighty percent of the women did not exceed recommended pregnancy weight gain on NELIP. Weight retention at 2 months postpartum was 2.2 +/- 5.6 kg with no difference between the OW and the OB women on NELIP. Mean birth weight was not different between NELIP (3.59 +/- 0.5 kg) and MC (3.56 +/- 0.6 kg, P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
NELIP reduces the risk of excessive pregnancy weight gain with minimal weight retention at 2 months postpartum in OW and OB women. This intervention may assist OW and OB women in successful weight control after childbirth.
Mottola
Michelle F
MF
R. Samuel McLaughlin Foundation-Exercise & Pregnancy Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. mmottola@uwo.ca
Giroux
Isabelle
I
Gratton
Robert
R
Hammond
Jo-Anne
JA
Hanley
Anthony
A
Harris
Stewart
S
McManus
Ruth
R
Davenport
Margie H
MH
Sopper
Maggie M
MM
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D009864:Ontario; D050177:Overweight; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D015430:Weight Gain