Abstract
Objectives
The pattern of gestational weight gain (GWG) reflects general nutrient availability to support growing fetal and maternal compartments and may contribute to later health, but how it relates to changes in maternal body composition is unknown. We evaluated how the pattern of GWG related to changes in maternal body composition during pregnancy and infant size at birth.
Methods
A prospective, multi-ethnic cohort of 156 pregnant women and their infants was studied in New York City. Prenatal weights were used to estimate total and rate (kg/week) of GWG by trimester. Linear regression models evaluated the association between trimester-specific GWG group (low, medium, high GWG) [total (low ≤25, high ≥75 percentile) or rate (defined by tertiles)] and infant weight, length and maternal body composition changes from 14 to 37 weeks, adjusting for covariates.
Results
Compared to the low gain group, medium/high rate of GWG in the second trimester and high rate of GWG in the third trimester were associated with larger gains in maternal fat mass (β range for fat Δ = 2.86–5.29 kg, all p < 0.01). For infant outcomes, high rate of GWG in the second trimester was associated with higher birth weight (β = 356 g, p = 0.001) and length (β = 0.85 cm, p = 0.002). First and third trimester GWG were not associated with neonatal size.
Conclusions
The trimester specific pattern and rate of GWG reflect changes in maternal body fat and body water, and are associated with neonatal size, which supports the importance of monitoring trimester-specific GWG.
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Abbreviations
- BMI:
-
Body mass index
- DP:
-
Whole-body 153Gd dual-photon absorptiometry
- DXA:
-
Dual energy absorptiometry
- GWG:
-
Gestational weight gain
- IOM:
-
Institute of Medicine
- TBW:
-
Total body water
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Acknowledgments
The study that collected the original data used here was supported by Grant Nos. MCJ 360601 and MCJ 360499 of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (Title V, Social Security Administration), Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services. EMW received funding from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (T32DK091227). This study also received support from the New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center (NIH/NIDDK P30DK026687).
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Widen, E.M., Factor-Litvak, P.R., Gallagher, D. et al. The Pattern of Gestational Weight Gain is Associated with Changes in Maternal Body Composition and Neonatal Size. Matern Child Health J 19, 2286–2294 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1747-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1747-5