Gestational weight gain below recommendations and adverse maternal and child health outcomes for pregnancies with overweight or obesity: a United States cohort study

Background: The current Institute of Medicine (IOM) pregnancy weight gain guidelines were developed using the best available evidence but were limited by substantial knowledge gaps. Some have raised concern that the guidelines for individuals affected by overweight or obesity are too high and contribute to short- and long-term complications for the mother and child.

Objectives: To determine the association between pregnancy weight gain below the lower limit of the current IOM recommendations and risk of 10 adverse maternal and child health outcomes among individuals with overweight and obesity.

Methods: We used data from a prospective cohort study of United States nulliparae with prepregnancy overweight (n = 955) or obesity (n = 897) followed from the first trimester to 2-7 y postpartum. We used multivariable Poisson regression to relate pregnancy weight gain z-scores with a severity-weighted composite outcome consisting of ≥1 of 10 adverse outcomes (gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, unplanned cesarean delivery, maternal postpartum weight increase >10 kg, maternal postpartum metabolic syndrome, infant death, stillbirth, preterm birth, small-for-gestational age birth, and childhood obesity).

Results: Pregnancy weight gain z-scores below, within, and above the IOM-recommended ranges occurred in 5%, 13%, and 80% of pregnancies with overweight and 17%, 13%, and 70% of pregnancies with obesity. There was a positive association between pregnancy weight gain z-scores and all adverse maternal outcomes, childhood obesity, and the composite outcome. Pregnancy weight gain z-scores below the lower limit of the recommended ranges (<6.8 kg for overweight, <5 kg for obesity) were not associated with the severity-weighted composite outcome. For example, compared with the lower limit, adjusted rate ratios (95% confidence interval) for z-scores of -2 standard deviations in pregnancies with overweight (equivalent to 3.6 kg at 40 wk) and obesity (-2.8 kg at 40 wk) were 0.99 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91, 1.06) and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.87, 1.07).

Conclusions: These findings support arguments to decrease the lower limit of recommended weight gain ranges in these prepregnancy body mass index groups.