Efficacy of an intervention to prevent excessive gestational weight gain

Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of an intervention directed at preventing excessive gestational weight gain. Study design: Healthy pregnant women with normal and overweight early pregnancy body mass index were monitored from early pregnancy until 1-year postpartum. One hundred seventy-nine women in the intervention group had their gestational weight gains monitored by health care providers and also received by-mail patient education. Three hundred eighty-one women formed an historical control group. The proportions in each group gaining more weight in pregnancy than is recommended and retaining more than 2.27 kg at 1-year postpartum were compared using logistic regression analysis. Results: Low-income women who received the intervention had a significantly reduced risk of excessive gestational weight gain (odds ratio [OR] = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.20-0.81). Overweight women within this income subgroup were at significantly reduced risk of retaining more than 2.27 kg (OR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.07-0.89). Conclusion: The intervention appeared to reduce the risk of excessive gestational weight gain only in the low-income subgroup. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.