Abstract
Objective
Gestational weight gain (GWG) outside recommended ranges can negatively impact both the woman and child. The long-term effects of below-recommended or above-recommended GWG on the child are unclear.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study used a population-based birth registry of 258,005 live births to evaluate the relationship between maternal GWG and paediatric health service use.
Results
The results suggest below recommended GWG in underweight women in particular is associated with an increased rate of hospitalizations and specialist visits for the child in the first 24 months.
Conclusion
Findings indicate that GWG may impact paediatric outcomes in ways that depend on pre-pregnancy body mass index, as derived from maternal height and weight measures.
Significance
The findings of this study are significant as they expand previously published research and suggest that gestational weight gain below recommended levels in underweight women contributes to pediatric health service utilization as the child grows. These findings have important implications and should influence prenatal counselling on gestational weight gain in clinical practice.
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References
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Acknowledgements
This Study is based in part on data provided by Better Outcomes Registry and Network (“BORN”), part of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. The interpretation and conclusions contained herein do not necessarily represent those of BORN Ontario. Parts of this material are based on data and/or information compiled and provided by CIHI. However, the analyses, conclusions, opinions and statements expressed in the material are those of the author(s), and not necessarily those of CIHI.
Funding
This study was supported by ICES, which is funded by an annual grant from the Ontario Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Long-Term Care (MLTC). This study was also supported by a CIHR research grant awarded to Dr. Gaudet (MFM 146444).
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LC, DF, SH, BP, DC, SWW, MW and LG contributed to the conception, design, and drafting of the research project. LC, DF, SH, and LG contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data. BP, MW and LG contributed to the clinical interpretation and implications of the findings. LG contributed to securing the funding for the research. All authors contributed to the revision of critical content in the manuscript and provided approval for submission of the enclosed manuscript.
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None of the authors in this study have any competing interests to disclose.
Ethical Approval
All research was conducted in accordance with prevailing ethical principles. Research ethics approval was provided by the Research Ethics Boards of the Ottawa Hospital Science Network (20180245-01H, 2018-04-10), Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (18/02PE, 2018-02-02), the University of Ottawa (H-05-18-727, 2018-06-04), and the ICES Privacy Office (2018-05-08).
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Currie, L.M., Fell, D.B., Hawken, S. et al. Relationship Between Gestational Weight Gain and Health Service Utilization in Early Childhood: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Matern Child Health J 28, 426–430 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03796-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03796-0