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The Pattern of Gestational Weight Gain is Associated with Changes in Maternal Body Composition and Neonatal Size

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Abstract

Objectives

The pattern of gestational weight gain (GWG) reflects general nutrient availability to support growing fetal and maternal compartments and may contribute to later health, but how it relates to changes in maternal body composition is unknown. We evaluated how the pattern of GWG related to changes in maternal body composition during pregnancy and infant size at birth.

Methods

A prospective, multi-ethnic cohort of 156 pregnant women and their infants was studied in New York City. Prenatal weights were used to estimate total and rate (kg/week) of GWG by trimester. Linear regression models evaluated the association between trimester-specific GWG group (low, medium, high GWG) [total (low ≤25, high ≥75 percentile) or rate (defined by tertiles)] and infant weight, length and maternal body composition changes from 14 to 37 weeks, adjusting for covariates.

Results

Compared to the low gain group, medium/high rate of GWG in the second trimester and high rate of GWG in the third trimester were associated with larger gains in maternal fat mass (β range for fat Δ = 2.86–5.29 kg, all p < 0.01). For infant outcomes, high rate of GWG in the second trimester was associated with higher birth weight (β = 356 g, p = 0.001) and length (β = 0.85 cm, p = 0.002). First and third trimester GWG were not associated with neonatal size.

Conclusions

The trimester specific pattern and rate of GWG reflect changes in maternal body fat and body water, and are associated with neonatal size, which supports the importance of monitoring trimester-specific GWG.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

DP:

Whole-body 153Gd dual-photon absorptiometry

DXA:

Dual energy absorptiometry

GWG:

Gestational weight gain

IOM:

Institute of Medicine

TBW:

Total body water

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Acknowledgments

The study that collected the original data used here was supported by Grant Nos. MCJ 360601 and MCJ 360499 of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (Title V, Social Security Administration), Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services. EMW received funding from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (T32DK091227). This study also received support from the New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center (NIH/NIDDK P30DK026687).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Elizabeth M. Widen, Dympna Gallagher & Richard N. Pierson Jr.

  2. Institute of Human Nutrition, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Elizabeth M. Widen, Dympna Gallagher, Richard N. Pierson Jr. & Sally A. Lederman

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Elizabeth M. Widen, Pam R. Factor-Litvak & Anne Paxton

  4. Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Anne Paxton

  5. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    Steven B. Heymsfield

  6. Institute of Human Nutrition, Department of Epidemiology, The New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center, Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Ave, Suite 121, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Elizabeth M. Widen

Authors
  1. Elizabeth M. Widen
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  2. Pam R. Factor-Litvak
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  3. Dympna Gallagher
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  4. Anne Paxton
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  6. Steven B. Heymsfield
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  7. Sally A. Lederman
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Correspondence to Elizabeth M. Widen.

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Widen, E.M., Factor-Litvak, P.R., Gallagher, D. et al. The Pattern of Gestational Weight Gain is Associated with Changes in Maternal Body Composition and Neonatal Size. Matern Child Health J 19, 2286–2294 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1747-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1747-5

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