Pregnancy Weight Gain

A column on the Boston Globe, titled "How much weight should women gain while pregnant?" discusses the various rules of thumb that are out there.

Take your pregnant daughter's pre-pregnancy weight and height to calculate her pre-pregnancy BMI. Then use that number to get an idea of the range of weight gain her doctor may suggest for her:

"In 1990, the gurus at the Institute of Medicine got worried about low birth weight babies and came up with guidelines that said that skinny women (who have a BMI, or body mass index, of less than 19.8) should gain 28 to 40 pounds. Normal women (BMI of 19.8 to 26.0) should gain 25 to 35 pounds, and heavy women (BMI of more than 26.0) should gain the least, 15 to 25 pounds."

Low birth weight babies are those babies born weighing less than 5 pounds 8 ounces. These babies may face serious medical challenges such as respiratory distress syndrome, bleeding in the brain, Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (a heart problem that can lead to heart failure), Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) (a problem with the intestines), and abnormal growth of blood vessels in the eye that can lead to vision loss.

So you see that any factors that contribute to a baby being born with low birth weight can be quite serious. The pregnant woman not gaining enough weight during pregnancy is just one factor that can contribute to the baby's low birth weight. Other factors include: Maternal high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart, lung and kidney problems; smoking; alcohol and drug use; infections in the mother or baby; problems with the placenta; and socio-economic factors. "Black women, and women under 17 and over 35 years of age are at increased risk" for giving birth to a low birth weight baby.

Bottom line: ask your daughter's doctor about her pregnancy weight gain at every visit. Your doctor should balance out all the factors your pregnant daughter faces to help point your daughter in the direction of a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.