title: Patterns of weight gain in pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus: an observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify late-pregnancy weight gain in women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to determine factors associated with gestational weight gain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective clinical audit of 212 women (115 GDM and 97 non-GDM) who were weighed at each antenatal visit from 24-32 weeks gestation until delivery. Women received routine antenatal clinical care. For women with GDM, this included a 2-h lifestyle counselling session, capillary blood glucose testing and frequent clinical review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with GDM gained less weight than nondiabetic women (GDM: 1.18 kg (1.6%) [range, 3.8-7.1 kg]; non-GDM: 4.0 kg (4.8%) [range, 0.7-18.5 kg]; P < 0.0001). Weight gain was influenced by body mass index and country of birth. Women with GDM showed reduced weight gain at weeks 1-4 postrecruitment, relative to weeks 4-8 (0.04 kg/week vs 0.45 kg/week; P < 0.0001). Nondiabetic women gained weight at a constant rate. GDM status was the only independent predictor of postrecruitment weight gain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Application of a model of care for GDM (lifestyle advice and regular clinical review, in addition to home glucose monitoring) may reduce weight gain in women with GDM. The potential for applying a modified version of this model to all women in pregnancy warrants further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Zoe A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Euan M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Carolyn A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Allan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D001315:Australia; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000503:physiopathology*; D037001:Directive Counseling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009520:New Zealand; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D015430:Weight Gain