Obese women who gain more than 15 pounds likely to retain at least 10 pounds after a year
THURSDAY, Oct. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Obese women who gain excessive amounts of weight during pregnancy are at increased risk of retaining weight at one-year postpartum, according to a study in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Kimberly K. Vesco, M.D., of Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Ore., and colleagues studied obese women who gave birth to 1,656 singletons between 2000 and 2005 at Kaiser Permanente Northwest.
The researchers found that almost three-quarters of the women gained more than 15 pounds during pregnancy. Compared to women who gained 0 to 15 pounds during pregnancy, they found that the risk of a one-year postpartum weight of more than 10 pounds over baseline was significantly increased in those who gained 15 to 25 pounds (odds ratio, 2.18), 25 to 35 pounds (odds ratio, 3.91), and more than 35 pounds (odds ratio, 7.66).
"Given the serious morbidities associated with obesity and excessive weight gain, there is an urgent need for the development of interventions that successfully help women avoid excessive weight gain during pregnancy," the authors conclude. "Furthermore, additional prospective studies are needed to determine the long- and short-term impact of weight maintenance or limited gestation weight gain for obese women and their offspring."
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