Data Sources: BORN Information System (Fiscal years: 2012-2013)
Sample: Women who birth in the KFL&A area.
Released: September 2015
Introduction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Health Canada states that gaining a healthy amount of weight during pregnancy can help the baby have a healthy start, reduce risk of complications during pregnancy and at delivery, and improve the mother's long-term health.1 Recommended weight gain is based on a woman's body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy, also known as pre-pregnancy BMI.1
The four BMI range categories in the Canadian weight classification system are shown in Table 1.2 Adults who are in the underweight category are at increased risk for having undernutrition, osteoporosis, infertility and impaired immunocompetence.2 Adults who are in the overweight or obese categories are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, dysplipidemia (abnormal amount of cholesterol or fat in the blood), hypertension, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, obstructive sleep apnea and certain cancers.2 The term 'normal' is used to describe a BMI between 18.5-24.9, and is the category with the 'least risk' in terms of developing any health problem associated with too little or too much body weight. However, it should be noted that overall health is dependent on multiple other factors including genetic predisposition, individual weight history, age, and other health behaviours such as eating and physical activity.2
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Pre-pregnancy BMI's | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Figure 1. Pre-pregnancy body mass index of mothers, KFL&A, 2012-2013(3)
Interpretation for Figure 1Figure 1 displays the pre-pregnancy BMI's for mothers in KFL&A in 2012 & 2013.3 Almost 40% of mothers in KFL&A from 2012 to 2013 had a BMI within normal range. Just over one fifth of mothers were considered overweight and one quarter have a BMI in the obese range. |
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Overweight and obesity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Figure 2. Overweight and obese body mass index categories of mothers, KFL&A, 2012 to 2013(3)Table 2. Overweight and obese body mass index categories of mothers, KFL&A, 2012 to 2013(3)
Interpretation for Figure 2Figure 2 displays the various subcategories of the obese class of the BMI, as well as the total proportion of mothers in KFL&A who are overweight or obese. Almost half of all KFL&A mothers in 2012 & 2013 were considered overweight or obese, with about 5% of mothers categorized in the obese class III. It should be noted 11.2% of mothers are missing information on their pre-pregnancy BMI categorization. |
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Recommended weight gain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current evidence suggests that both low and high pre-pregnancy BMI are concerns for poor health and poor pregnancy outcomes. A low pre-pregnancy BMI is linked to preterm birth and small for gestational age.5 A high pre-pregnancy BMI can lead to prenatal obesity.5 Prenatal obesity can occur from a woman being obese pre-conception or from gaining excessive weight during pregnancy. Prenatal obesity poses significant health problems to the mother and baby during pregnancy.6 A mother with prenatal obesity is at increased risk for gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, excessive gestational weight gain, and labour complications.6 The infant is at increased risk for large for gestational age, perinatal mortality, fetal distress and childhood obesity.6;7
All women should strive to achieve a normal body weight during the pre-pregnancy planning stages to improve the chance of conception and reduce the risk for maternal and fetal complications during birth and pregnancy. Table 2. Recommended weight gain for singleton pregnancies
Interpretation for Table 2 Table 2 displays the amount of weight gain recommended for singleton pregnancies based on a mother's pre-pregnancy BMI. Women who are overweight should gain between 7 and 11.5kg during their pregnancy, while women who are classified as obese should gain between 5 and 9kg. Most of the weight gain will happen in the second and third trimesters, as the baby and the tissues that support the pregnancy continue to grow. In addition, two things Health Canada recommends pregnant women do every day is be active for at least 30 minutes and eat "twice as healthy", not "twice as much".4 One extra snack a day is often enough to meet daily caloric needs. |
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Recommended weight gain status for mothers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Figure 3. Recommended pregnancy weight gain status of mothers, KFL&A, 2012 to 2013(3)
Interpretation for Figure 3The recommended pregnancy weight gain status of mothers is shown in Figure 3. About one fifth of mothers (21.2%) gain pregnancy weight that falls within the recommended pregnancy weight gain - which is based on their pre-pregnancy weight. Over one-third of mothers (36.1%) gain more weight than is recommended based on their pre-pregnancy weight. Note that data is missing for one fifth of mothers. Figure 4. Recommended pregnancy weight gain status of mothers by pre-pregnancy BMI, KFL&A, 2012 to 2013(3)
Interpretation for Figure 4Figure 4 displays the recommended weight gain status of mothers by their pre-pregnancy BMI status. Mothers who are overweight or obese pre-pregnancy are more likely to gain more weight than recommended than mothers who have an underweight or normal pre-pregnancy BMI. Figure 5. Recommended pregnancy weight gain status of mothers by pre-pregnancy BMI and maternal age group, KFL&A, 2012 to 2013(3)
Interpretation for Figure 5Figure 5 displays the recommended weight gain status of mothers by their pre-pregnancy BMI status and maternal age. The 'above recommended weight gain' category is the largest of the three categories of weight gain for all age groups. |
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Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For a complete list of data sources and terms used in the Reproductive Health Facts & Figures, see the Facts & Figures titled "Data Sources for Reproductive Health" and "Glossary for Reproductive Health" located on the Facts & Figures webpage in the Reproductive Health section. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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