Weight-management interventions for pregnant or postpartum women

A review of randomized controlled trials of weight-management interventions for pregnant or postpartum women was conducted to assess whether effective weight-management interventions exist for this population.

The MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, and CINAHL databases were searched, as well as the reference lists of relevant publications. English-language articles published between January 1985 and August 2007 that used a randomized controlled trial study design and incorporated a weight-related outcome measure were reviewed. All potentially relevant articles were reviewed separately, and final selections were based on consensus reached through discussion.

Three studies met the inclusion criteria, one conducted among pregnant women and two among postpartum women. The interventions addressed modifications in diet and exercise and included individual or group-counseling sessions combined with written and telephone correspondence or food and exercise diaries. In two studies, the weight-related outcome was significantly better in the intervention group than in the control group. The third study found a significant interaction between weight category and intervention group. In all studies, the refusal or attrition rates were high.

While these studies indicate that interventions can help pregnant and postpartum women manage their weight, many questions remain unanswered. Several research gaps for weight-management interventions in this important population have been identified.