The Institute of Medicine published new pregnancy weight
gain guidelines in 2009. The revisions from the 1990 recommendations are minor;
but they reflect a major change in thinking. Previous guidelines intended to protect against low birth
weight. The new guidelines intend to protect against obesity. Nearly 60% of mothers begin pregnancy either overweight or
obese. And rates of excessive
weight gain during pregnancy have increased steadily over the past decade. This
is problematic for several reasons. It’s a public health concern, since extra
pounds gained during pregnancy predict obesity in children by age three. In
addition, extra pregnancy pounds have proved hard to shed, so that women who
start pregnancy at normal weight but gain too much, tend to become permanently
obese, and to produce children prone to obesity. That means we are programming
obesity and its related health risks into future generations, and obesity is
one of the greatest future challenges for maternity care. Here’s the current Key Message from the Beginnings Pregnancy
Guide: Gain
Weight. You must gain weight. Plan to gain 25 to 35 pounds. Try to gain
more if you are very slim or still growing. Even if you are overweight now,
gain at least 15 pounds, or as much as your doctor advises. No dieting! The
message remains accurate since the recommended gestational weight gain ranges
remain unchanged: · 25 to 35 pounds for women beginning pregnancy at
normal weight · 28 to 40 pounds for those who are underweight · 15 to 25 pounds for overweight women · New! 11 to 20 pounds for obese women Black women, teens, and short women are included in the new
recommendations. Guidelines specific to these groups have been removed. In
light of the new guidelines and research findings, in the 2011 Edition of the
Pregnancy Guide, the key message will be edited to read as follows: Gain weight. Plan to gain 25 to 35
pounds. If you are very slim, try
to gain more (up to 40 pounds). Even if you are overweight now, gain at least
11 pounds. Extra weight gain is very hard to lose after pregnancy, and can
cause problems for you and your baby.
Keep track of your weight. Aim for slow steady gain. Recent
studies identify barriers to weight gain counseling. Prenatal care providers report lack of training to calculate
appropriate weight gain and to provide counseling on weight management, concern
about the sensitivity of the topic, and the perception that counseling is
ineffective. That means health
educators, parent educators, case managers, home visitors, WIC counselors, and
doulas and others who work with pregnant women need to be prepared to support
weight management. I’m editing and
adding content to support you in doing that. One issue is that the recommendations are based on
pre-pregnancy BMI – body mass index.
You can now calculate BMI for yourself or a mom you’re supporting on the
Beginnings Guides website. BMI
calculator. Do you know about an
app for cell phones? Please share
by leaving a Comment Weight Gain References:
American
Dietetic Association (2009). Position of the American Dietetic Association and
American Society for Nutrition: Obesity, Reproduction, and Pregnancy
Outcomes. Journal of the American Dietetic Association (109): 918-927.
Josefson J. The impact of pregnancy nutrition on
Offspring Obesity. (2011). Journal of the
American Dietetic Association: 50-52
Margerison
Zilco CE, Rehkopf D & Abrams B. (2010). Association of maternal gestational
weight gain with short- and long-term maternal and child outcomes. American
Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology: 573e2-574e8
Olander EK,
Atkinson L, Edmunds JK & French DP. (2011). The views of pre- and
post-natal women and health professionals regarding gestational weight gain: An
exploratory study. Sexual & Reproductive
Healthcare 2: 43-48
Rasmussen KM
& Yaktine AL. (Eds.) Committee to Reexamine IOM Pregnancy Weight Guidelines
(2009). Weight Gain During Pregnancy:
Reexamining the Guidelines. Institute of Medicine, National Research
Council. Free executive summary
available online: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12584.html
Siega-Riz AM, Deierlein A, & Stuebe A.(2010).
Implementation of the New Institute of Medicine Gestational Weight Gain
Guidelines. Journal of Midwifery &
Women’s Health 55(6):512-519.
Stotland NE, Gilbert P, Bogetz A, Harper CC, Abrams B &
Gerbert B. (2010). Preventing Excess Weight Gain in Pregnancy: How do prenatal
care providers approach counseling? Journal of Women’s Health 19(4):807-814.
|
 |
|||||||
 
CategoriesBeginnings GuidesBreastfeeding Health Education Health Literacy Parenting Education Prenatal Education |
|
 |
|||||
    |
|||||||
