A case for revising the 'weight gain during pregnancy' guidelines for Australian women

In 1989, an average weight gain during pregnancy of 14 kg was determined for a sample of 1,253 public patients at the Royal Women's Hospital, Brisbane. This greatly exceeded the weight gain of 10 to 12 kg which was recommended by the hospital and which is based on United States of America (US) data. The finding prompted a comparison of characteristics of Brisbane mothers (weight gain during pregnancy, age, prepregnant weight, height, birth-weight of infant, etc) with the characteristics of mothers in two large US studies. Significant differences were found to exist with Brisbane women being taller, heavier in body mass, more overweight and gaining less weight during pregnancy than the US women. Unexpectedly, the birth-weight of infants was neither more nor less than reported for the American studies. Further studies to gain more information about Australian women during their pregnancies should be undertaken.