To improve maternal and child health outcomes, women should weigh within the normal BMI range when they conceive and strive to gain within ranges recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2009 pregnancy weight guidelines.
4
High rates of overweight
and obesity are common in population
subgroups already at risk for poor
maternal and child health outcomes,
compounding the need for intervention.
4
In addition to health risks,
gestational weight gain beyond the
recommendation substantially increases risk of excess weight retention
in obese women at 1 year postpartum.
6
More information on obesity and pregnancy outcomes can be found in the