Statistics Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Weight gain during pregnancy: Adherence to Health Canada’s guidelines

Warning View the most recent version.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.










by Hélène Lowell and Doris C. Miller

Abstract
Keywords
Findings
Authors

Abstract

The 2006 Maternity Experiences Survey provides information about women’s weight before, during and after pregnancy. Using these data, this study assessed Canadian women’s adherence to the 1999 gestational weight gain guidelines. Women with a higher pre-pregnancy body mass index were more likely than normal or underweight women to gain more than recommended. Compared with older mothers, a higher percentage of young mothers gained more than recommended. Women who gave birth for the first time were more likely than those who had had more than one birth to gain more than recommended. A lower level of education was associated with weight gain exceeding the recommendations. Aboriginal women were more likely than non-Aboriginal women to gain more than recommended. Women who gained more than recommended while they were pregnant retained more weight five to nine months post-partum, compared with those who gained less than or within the amount recommended.

Keywords

birth weight, body mass index, behaviour, body weight changes, health surveys, pregnancy outcomes

Findings

Canadian women’s adherence to Health Canada’s gestational weight gain guidelines has not been assessed since the recommendations were released in 1999. Observational studies in countries with similar guidelines have shown that women tend to gain more weight than recommended while they are pregnant. The release of perinatal health data for a representative sample of Canadian women provides an opportunity to determine if women in Canada also gain more weight than is recommended.[Full text]

Authors

Hélène Lowell (1-613-948-4535; helene.lowell@hc-sc.gc.ca) and Doris C. Miller (1-613-948-4534; doris.miller@hc-sc.gc.ca) are with the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Health Products and Food Branch at Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0K9.