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Pregnancy Weight Gain and Longer-Term Maternal Cardiometabolic Conditions
Thais Rangel Bousquet Carrilho1, Sonia M Grandi2,3, Lisa M Bodnar4
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada (T.R.B.C., J.A.H.).
Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)
|June 3, 2026
Summary
Excessive weight gain during the first pregnancy significantly increases the risk of developing long-term cardiometabolic conditions. Managing weight gain in early pregnancies is crucial for maternal health.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Cardiovascular Health
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Maternal weight gain during pregnancy can impact long-term health.
- Understanding the relationship between pregnancy weight gain patterns and cardiometabolic health is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how weight gain patterns across successive pregnancies influence maternal cardiometabolic health.
- To identify specific weight gain thresholds associated with increased risk.
Main Methods:
- Utilized obstetric and hospital records for nulliparous pregnancies in Sweden (2008-2015).
- Standardized total pregnancy weight gain using Z-scores based on gestational age and BMI.
- Assessed postpartum cardiometabolic conditions (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases) using ICD-10 codes and medication data.
- Employed Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios.
Main Results:
- Among 58,333 individuals, 5.9% developed a cardiometabolic condition.
- High weight gain (≥ +1 Z-score) in the first pregnancy was associated with a 29% increased risk (HR, 1.29).
- Increased risk after the second pregnancy was linked to high weight gain in the first pregnancy, not the second.
Conclusions:
- High weight gain in the first pregnancy elevates the likelihood of developing cardiometabolic conditions by 30%.
- Preventing excessive weight gain during the initial pregnancy is a critical strategy for mitigating maternal cardiometabolic risk.
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