title: Total cost comparison of standard antenatal care with a weight gain restriction programme for obese pregnant women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To perform a cost comparison of a weight gain restriction programme for obese pregnant women with standard antenatal care, and to identify if there were differences in healthcare costs within the intervention group related to degree of gestational weight gain or degree of obesity at programme entry.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comparison of mean healthcare costs for participants of an intervention study at antenatal care clinics with controls in south-east Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 155 women in an intervention group attempted to restrict their gestational weight gain to <7 kg. The control group comprised 193 women. Mean costs during pregnancy, delivery and the neonatal period were compared with the costs of standard care. Costs were converted from Swedish Kronor to Euros (€).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Healthcare costs during pregnancy were lower in the intervention group. There was no significant difference in total healthcare costs (i.e. sum of costs during pregnancy, delivery and the neonatal period) between the intervention group and the control group. Within the intervention group, the subgroup that gained 4.5-9.5 kg had the lowest costs. The total cost, including intervention costs, was € 1283 more per woman/infant in the intervention group compared with the control group (P=0.025). The degree of obesity at programme entry had no bearing on the outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The weight gain restriction programme for obese pregnant women was effective in restricting gestational weight gain to <7 kg, but had a higher total cost compared with standard antenatal care.
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Keyser
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Josefsson
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Monfils
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Claesson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sydsjö
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sydsjö
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003363:Cost Control; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011295:Prenatal Care; D013548:Sweden; D015430:Weight Gain