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Association between maternal weight gain during pregnancy and child's body mass index at preschool age

Jeewon Shin1, Yoowon Kwon2, Ju Hee Kim3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea.

Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
|December 5, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is linked to higher birth weight and childhood obesity in Korean children. Avoiding excess gestational weight gain is crucial for long-term child health.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are known factors influencing birth weight and childhood obesity.
  • Limited data exist on these associations within the Korean population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of prepregnancy BMI and GWG on birth weight and childhood obesity in Korea.
  • To analyze the relationship between maternal GWG and child BMI at 6 years of age.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective review of 1,753 singleton full-term infants born between 2014-2016.
  • Mothers were categorized by prepregnancy BMI (underweight, normal, overweight/obese).
  • Infants were grouped based on gestational weight gain (GWG) according to the American Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines.

Main Results:

  • Higher prepregnancy BMI was significantly associated with increased birth weight and child BMI at 6 years (P<0.001).
  • Significant differences in birth weight and child BMI at 6 years were observed across different GWG groups.
  • Excess postpartum weight gain was linked to a 2.21-fold increased risk of childhood overweight and obesity.

Conclusions:

  • Excessive GWG is associated with both short-term and long-term risks of childhood obesity.
  • The high prevalence of excess GWG and childhood obesity in Korea highlights significant public health concerns.
  • Recommendations for avoiding excess GWG during pregnancy are warranted to mitigate these risks.
Abstract

Keywords:
BMIBody mass indexChildExcess weight gain during pregnancy

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