Most do not gain weight properly during pregnancy – 12/22/2023 – Balance

The majority of women in low- and middle-income countries gain inadequate weight during pregnancy, reveals a new review of studies recently published in the British Medical Journal, which evaluated data from 24 countries, including Brazil. According to the survey, 78% of pregnant women assessed gained weight incorrectly — 55% less than recommended and 23% excessively. Both lack of and excess weight can cause problems for the developing baby.

“This percentage outside the recommended range is surprising because we are talking about the vast majority of the pregnant population”, says gynecologist Mariano Tamura, from Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. According to the study, the majority (64%) of women began pregnancy with a normal weight, but 20% were overweight or obese and 15.6% were below ideal weight.

According to the authors, most studies on the subject and neonatal outcomes are conducted in rich countries. Therefore, they compiled 53 surveys carried out in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and Southeast Asia, totaling 118,207 participants.

To give you an idea, one of the Brazilian studies reviewed, carried out at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) with 173 pregnant women, found that 41% had an insufficient gain and 22%, an excessive one. “This happens for several reasons, from lack of access to quality food to incorrect guidance and monitoring”, explains the expert.

Gaining less weight than recommended during pregnancy increases the risk of premature birth, small-for-gestational-age fetuses, and low birth weight. Excess, on the other hand, is also associated with premature births and very large babies — not to mention the risk of complications for the pregnant woman, such as hypertension and gestational diabetes.

All of these adverse outcomes are related to a higher mortality rate and problems such as delays in child development and cardiometabolic disorders in the future. “Several factors can hinder these babies and they include the immaturity of some organs and metabolic imbalances at birth, in addition to difficulties during birth”, explains Tamura.

Adequate weight gain can be a marker of the quantity and quality of macro and micronutrients essential for the proper development of pregnancy. According to the doctor, starting a pregnancy at the right weight reduces the risk of complications, even if you later gain more or less weight than expected.

The total number of kilos that a pregnant woman can gain depends on her nutritional status (whether it is above, below or within the range considered ideal). The gynecologist warns that teenagers deserve extra care, as they are more prone to complications if they do not gain weight appropriately.

In general, says the doctor, the recommended weight gain is as follows:

• Underweight pregnant women – should gain between 12.5 and 18 kilos

• With ideal weight – between 11.6 and 16 kilos

• Overweight – between 7 and 11 kilos

• Obese – between 5 and 9 kilos