Review Article

Preventing Long-Term Risk of Obesity for Two Generations: Prenatal Physical Activity Is Part of the Puzzle

Table 1

Gestational weight gain recommendations based on the 1990 and 2009 Institute of Medicine guidelines [5, 79].

IOM 1990 IOM 2009
Pre-pregnancy BMI categoryRecommendedb range of total weight gain Pre-pregnancy BMI categoryMeana rate of weight gain in the 2nd and 3rd trimesterRecommendedb range of total weight gain

BMI < 19.8 kg/m2 (low)12.5–18.0 kgBMI < 18.5 kg/m2 underweight0.5 kg/week12.5–18.0 kg
BMI 19.8–26.0 kg/m2 (normal)11.5–16.0 kgBMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2 normal weight0.4 kg/week11.5–16 kg
BMI 26.1–29.0 kg/m2 (high)7.0–11.5 kgBMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2 overweight0.3 kg/week7.0–11.5 kg
BMI > 29.0 kg/m2 (obese)at least 6.0 kgBMI ≥ 30c kg/m2 obese0.2 kg/week5.0–9.0 kg

aRounded values.
bCalculations assume a total of 0.5–2.0 kg weight gain in the first trimester.
cA narrower range of weight gain may be advised for women with a pre-pregnancy BMI of 35.0 kg/m2 or greater. Individualized advice is recommended for these women.