The effect of recent immigration to Canada on gestational weight gain

To determine whether recent immigration to Canada constitutes a risk factor for excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) in our patient population.

We performed a retrospective chart review of all deliveries performed by five obstetricians at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal between 1998 and 2007. We extrapolated the total GWG from the weights documented at the first and last prenatal visits based on studies that demonstrated that 20% of the GWG occurs in the first trimester, 40% in the second trimester, and 40% in the third trimester. Women were classified into six ethnic groups (Caucasian, Black, Latin American, East Asian, West Asian/Arab, and South Asian) and into four immigration status groups (immigrated to Canada5 to 10 years, or >10 years before their first prenatal visit, and non-immigrants). A mixed model multiple linear regression was used to explore the effect of ethnicity and immigration status on GWG after adjustment for age, parity, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, and smoking.

We analyzed the data from 960 pregnancies. Weight gain above the Health Canada recommendations was found in 64.6% of pregnancies. On average, non-immigrants gained more gestational weight than women who immigrated to Canada over 10 years ago (17.17±5.35 vs. 15.36±5.45, P=0.01). Women of Latin American origin gained more weight than South Asian women (17.27±5.29 vs. 14.08±5.30, P=0.03).

Recent immigration to Canada was not found to be associated with excessive GWG. Larger prospective trials would be required to assess the full impact of recent immigration on pregnancy outcomes.