Implications for nursing practice and research

The results of this study suggest there is a need to:

• ■ Monitor women's prepregnant body mass index (BMI).

• ■ Educate pregnant women about the importance of appropriate weight gain.

• ■ Prospective studies are needed to identify those factors that impact on gestational weight gain.

• ■ Longitudinal studies are needed to follow the developmental trajectories of children born to mothers who experience gestational weight loss.

Context

There is a need to define what constitutes adequate weight gain during pregnancy. Paramount to this discussion is the effect of weight gain or loss not only on maternal health but also on the child's short- and long-term health. This is particularly important because …