Weight-management interventions for pregnant or postpartum women.

BACKGROUND: A review of randomized controlled trials of weight-management interventions for pregnant or postpartum women was conducted to assess whether effective weight-management interventions exist for this population.

METHODS: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, and CINAHL databases were searched, as well as the reference lists of relevant publications. English-language articles published between January 1985 and August 2007 that used a randomized controlled trial study design and incorporated a weight-related outcome measure were reviewed. All potentially relevant articles were reviewed separately, and final selections were based on consensus reached through discussion.

RESULTS: Three studies met the inclusion criteria, one conducted among pregnant women and two among postpartum women. The interventions addressed modifications in diet and exercise and included individual or group-counseling sessions combined with written and telephone correspondence or food and exercise diaries. In two studies, the weight-related outcome was significantly better in the intervention group than in the control group. The third study found a significant interaction between weight category and intervention group. In all studies, the refusal or attrition rates were high.

CONCLUSIONS: While these studies indicate that interventions can help pregnant and postpartum women manage their weight, many questions remain unanswered. Several research gaps for weight-management interventions in this important population have been identified.