Program helps pregnant women manage weight

PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 1 (UPI) -- A lifestyle intervention can help women manage their weight during pregnancy and reduce weight retention after giving birth, U.S. researchers say.

Lead author Suzanne Phelan of Brown University and California Polytechnic State University says women whose weight was in a normal range before pregnancy were more likely to stay at a healthy weight if they received the intervention during pregnancy.

The randomized controlled study of 400 women, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found the intervention did not help women who were obese or overweight before becoming pregnant stay within the recommended weight gain goals during pregnancy, but it did help them return to their pre-pregnancy weight after delivery.

The intervention involved an initial face-to-face meeting during which women were coached on healthy pregnancy weight gain, the need for physical activity such as walking, calorie goals, reducing fat intake and daily self-monitoring. Women received scales, pedometers and were instructed to record what they ate.

The intervention proceeded by mail and telephone, with weekly reminder postcards and three calls from a dietitian to offer encouragement. After each visit to their doctor's office, the women would receive graphs showing their weight gain compared to what would be ideal.