The long-term impact of adolescent gestational weight gain

This study involved 330 primiparous Black adolescents. The purpose of the study was to examine predictors of body mass index (BMI) change in Black adolescents 6 and 9 years after they gave birth. Predictors were gestational weight gain, pre-pregnant BMI, and age (p < .001). For older adolescents (ages 18-19), gestational weight gain was the only predictor of BMI change (p = .008). Regardless of pre-pregnant BMI category, adolescents whose gestational weight gain exceeded Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations were 4.6 times more likely to be obese than those whose weight gain was within recommendations. Excessive gestational weight gain and pre-pregnant overweight contribute to adolescent obesity. These findings have implications from both a clinical and public health perspective.