Excessive Gestational Weight Gain in Adolescent and Adult Pregnancies: An Overlooked Public Health Problem
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nly one-third of all pregnant women in the US (2) 15-17 years; (3) 18-19 years; and (4) 20-34 years. The catgain adequate gestational weight.1 Even more egories for GWG were: (1) lost weight; (2) inadequate GWG; worrisome, the percentage of women with (3) adequate GWG; and (4) excessive GWG. Adjusting for adequate gestational weight gain (GWG) has decreased maternal age, race, pre-pregnancy obesity, Medicaid use, in the recent years, while mean GWG is on the rise.2 and prenatal smoking, results showed that a low percentage Excessive GWG is associated with multiof women in the observations lost weight ple comorbidities for women, neonates, (1.5%-1.7%), one-sixth had inadequate See related article, p and infants.3-5 For women, it is a risk facGWG (13.0%-18.1%), one-fifth had approtor for pre-eclampsia, cesarean delivery, post-partum priate GWG (19.5%-20.7%), and two-thirds had excessive weight retention, and long-term obesity.4 For neonates, GWG (59.8%-64.6%). Except for the underweight adolescents, the GWG in the adolescent age group was at the it is associated with macrosomia, and large for gestational high end or above the IOM recommendations in all BMI age.3 For infants, it is a strong predictor of childhood groups. obesity.5 Despite the high prevalence of excessive GWG Elchert et al report two main findings. First, most adolesand its comorbidities, national and international organicent and adult women manifest excessive GWG. Second, patzations in obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics have terns of adolescent GWG are similar to those of adults. not yet described it as a public health problem. Although previous research had emphasized the gap between The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends adults to adolescent and adult GWG, an analytical approach based on gain 28-40 pounds if they are underweight (body mass in2 BMI estimations suggests that excessive GWG is as prevadex [BMI]
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nly one-third of all pregnant women in the US (2) 15-17 years; (3) 18-19 years; and (4) 20-34 years. The catgain adequate gestational weight.1 Even more egories for GWG were: (1) lost weight; (2) inadequate GWG; worrisome, the percentage of women with (3) adequate GWG; and (4) excessive GWG. Adjusting for adequate gestational weight gain (GWG) has decreased maternal age, race, pre-pregnancy obesity, Medicaid use, in the recent years, while mean GWG is on the rise.2 and prenatal smoking, results showed that a low percentage Excessive GWG is associated with multiof women in the observations lost weight ple comorbidities for women, neonates, (1.5%-1.7%), one-sixth had inadequate See related article, p and infants.3-5 For women, it is a risk facGWG (13.0%-18.1%), one-fifth had approtor for pre-eclampsia, cesarean delivery, post-partum priate GWG (19.5%-20.7%), and two-thirds had excessive weight retention, and long-term obesity.4 For neonates, GWG (59.8%-64.6%). Except for the underweight adolescents, the GWG in the adolescent age group was at the it is associated with macrosomia, and large for gestational high end or above the IOM recommendations in all BMI age.3 For infants, it is a strong predictor of childhood groups. obesity.5 Despite the high prevalence of excessive GWG Elchert et al report two main findings. First, most adolesand its comorbidities, national and international organicent and adult women manifest excessive GWG. Second, patzations in obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics have terns of adolescent GWG are similar to those of adults. not yet described it as a public health problem. Although previous research had emphasized the gap between The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends adults to adolescent and adult GWG, an analytical approach based on gain 28-40 pounds if they are underweight (body mass in2 BMI estimations suggests that excessive GWG is as prevadex [BMI]
