Optimizing GWG in Obese Pregnant Women: A Nationwide Real-World Study Using the U.S. Natality Cohort

The goal of this observational study is to find out which amount of weight gain during pregnancy is safest for women with obesity and their babies. Current guidelines recommend the same weight gain target (5 to 9 kg) for all women with obesity. However, obesity has different levels of severity. The same target may not work well for everyone. Researchers will look at health data from about 10 million U.S. birth records between 2023 and 2025. They will focus on women aged 18 to 45 who had a single baby at full term (37 to 41 weeks) and had obesity before pregnancy. All women in this study started prenatal care in their first 3 months of pregnancy. The study divides total pregnancy weight gain into 8 different ranges. Then, it checks for maternal and newborn health problems. Serious problems include stays in the intensive care unit (ICU) or blood transfusions. Moderate problems include high blood pressure during pregnancy, diabetes, or babies born too large or too small. By comparing weight gain ranges across three obesity classes, this study aims to find specific target weight ranges for each class. The ultimate goal is to lower the risk of both severe and moderate pregnancy complications for mothers and their newborns