Gestational weight gain in women receiving prenatal care in rural midwifery clinics (LB313)

Abstract

Background: Gestational weight gain (GWG) impacts maternal and fetal outcomes and is the most significant predictor of postpartum weight retention. In 2009, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released revised GWG recommendations on prepregnancy body mass index (BMI).Objective: To describe GWG in women receiving prenatal care provided by Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) and compare their weight changes to the 2009 IOM GWG recommendations.Design: Secondary data analysis of GWG in pregnant women who participated in a pilot study comparing postpartum weight changes in women receiving group prenatal care vs. individual care provided by CNMs. Women were grouped by pre‐gravid BMI according to World Health Organization categories.Results: Data for 18 women were included in the analysis. Mean age was 25.17 + 4.97 years and mean gravidity was 1.94 + 1.2. For women in group care, median weight gain was 16.8 kg (Q1‐Q3: 13.6‐27.7 kg) vs. 12.3 kg (Q1‐Q3: 10.0‐22.6 Kg) for women in individual care (p= 0.56). By pregravid BMI, the group care cohort’s median weight gain was 16.4 kg (normal weight), 30.5 kg (overweight), and 15.1 kg (obese). For the individual care cohort, median weight gain by pregravid BMI was 18.1 kg (normal weight), 9.9 kg (overweight), and 11.4 kg (obese).Conclusions: Median weight gain between groups was not significantly different. Median weight gain by BMI category exceeded the 2009 IOM recommendations with the exception of the overweight individual care group.Grant Funding Source: Supported by the National Center for Research Resources and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health through Grant Number 8Ul1TR000041