Are the 2009 Institute of Medicine gestational weight gain recommendations applicable in a contemporary South-East Asian pregnancy cohort? Results of a prospective analysis

2025

Gestational Weight Gain Recommendations for South-East Asian Mothers

Sample size: 875 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Tai Yong Ting, Khoo Jun Kit, Lim Quan Hziung, Lim Lee-Ling, Paramasivam Sharmila Sunita, Ratnasingam Jeyakantha, Hee Nicholas Ken Yoong, Sarvanandan Tharsini, Ooi Ying Guat, Boey Victoria Wei Fang, Nalliah Saravanaa, Tan Peng Chiong, Hamdan Mukhri, Sthaneshwar Pavai, Samingan Nurshadia, Ahmad Kamar Azanna, Anuar Zaini Azriyanti, Samsuddin Syahrizan, Md Amin Md Syazwan, Musa Nurbazlin, Ganapathy Shubash Shander, Chinna Karuthan, Jalaludin Muhammad Yazid, Vethakkan Shireene Ratna

Primary Institution: Universiti Malaya

Hypothesis

Are the 2009 Institute of Medicine gestational weight gain recommendations applicable in a contemporary South-East Asian pregnancy cohort?

Conclusion

The 2009 IOM gestational weight gain recommendations are applicable in a contemporary Malay majority South-East Asian cohort for predicting abnormal neonatal adiposity.

Supporting Evidence

Excessive gestational weight gain was associated with increased risk of macrosomia.
Inadequate gestational weight gain was linked to small-for-gestational-age status.
Using Asian BMI cut-offs increased the incidence of excessive gestational weight gain.

Takeaway

This study looked at whether weight gain guidelines for pregnant women from the US work for mothers in Malaysia. It found that the guidelines are still useful for predicting baby health.