• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

information for practice

news, new scholarship & more from around the world


advanced search
  • gary.holden@nyu.edu
  • @ Info4Practice
  • Archive
  • About
  • Help
  • Browse Key Journals
  • RSS Feeds

Weight During the Postpartum Period: What Can Health Care Workers Do?

Abstract  

To describe the gestational month-to-month weight change, obstetric and lifestyle factors influencing postpartum weight retention
(PPWR) and to suggest possible interventions to prevent PPWR. This study was part of a larger research project concerning
maternal weight change after childbirth. 343 women were recruited on five maternity wards in the Antwerp region, Belgium.
Weight and height were assessed by the researchers during two home visits at 3 and 14 months postpartum and participants completed
a questionnaire investigating obstetric and lifestyle factors during the first home visit. The monthly weights in between
the home visits were self-reported by the participants. Full data were available for 75 women. One year after childbirth 52.0 %
of the women faced postpartum weight retention. The different monthly weight points within the changes differed significantly
from each other up to sixth months postpartum. Prepregnancy weight, exceeding the recommendations from the Institute of Medicine
(IOM) concerning weight gain during pregnancy, smoking behaviour and exercising during pregnancy significantly influenced
the postpartum weight change. The amount of weight gained during pregnancy, breastfeeding, possible postpartum depression
and experiencing a shortage of information concerning the weight change after childbirth significantly influenced postpartum
weight retention. Weight gain during pregnancy, exceeding IOM-criteria, breastfeeding, depression and lack of information
determine PPWR and can be modulated by interventions such as routine weighing or screening of pregnant women. Several of these
influencing factors can be preventively influenced by health care workers. Overall, we believe women could benefit from more
guidance before, during and after pregnancy. Moreover, we recommend to reintroduce routine weighing of pregnant women as weight
gain during pregnancy seems one of the most important factors involved in PPWR.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • Pages 1-9
  • DOI 10.1007/s10995-012-1077-9
  • Authors
    • Kathleen Biesmans, Department of Health Care, Karel de Grote University College, Van Schoonbekestraat 143, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
    • Erik Franck, Department of Health Care, Karel de Grote University College, Van Schoonbekestraat 143, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
    • Christine Ceulemans, Department of Health Care, Karel de Grote University College, Van Schoonbekestraat 143, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
    • Yves Jacquemyn, Department of Gynaecology, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
    • Peter Van Bogaert, Division of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
    • Journal Maternal and Child Health Journal
    • Online ISSN 1573-6628
    • Print ISSN 1092-7875
Posted in: Journal Article Abstracts on 07/18/2012 | Link to this post on IFP |
Share

Primary Sidebar

Categories

Category RSS Feeds

  • Calls & Consultations
  • Clinical Trials
  • Funding
  • Grey Literature
  • Guidelines Plus
  • History
  • Infographics
  • Journal Article Abstracts
  • Meta-analyses - Systematic Reviews
  • Monographs & Edited Collections
  • News
  • Open Access Journal Articles
  • Podcasts
  • Video

© 1993-2023 Dr. Gary Holden. All rights reserved.

gary.holden@nyu.edu
@Info4Practice