Retrospective analysis on gestational weight gain in twin pregnancies with favorable perinatal outcomes: The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS)

• Published in: Journal of Japan Academy of Midwifery Vol. 37; no. 3; pp. 219 - 230
• Main Authors: HORIUCHI, Sayaka, AKIYAMA, Yuka, YAMAGATA, Zentaro, The Japan Environment and Children's Study Group, KUSHIMA, Megumi, KOJIMA, Reiji, KOBAYASHI, Yasue, YOKOMICHI, Hiroshi, SHINOHARA, Ryoji, MIYAKE, Kunio, YUI, Hideki, TAKAOKA, Satoko, OTAWA, Sanae, OOKA, Tadao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Academy of Midwifery 2023
• Subjects: gestational weight gain; Japanese women; retrospective study; twin pregnancy
• ISSN: 0917-6357; 1882-4307; 1882-4307
• DOI: 10.3418/jjam.JJAM-2022-0043

PurposeThe clinical guideline on gestational weight gain for Japanese twin pregnant women has not been presented in Japan so far. As a process of determining optimal weight gain, this study aimed to describe the gestational weight gain by pregnancy period in Japanese twin pregnant women with favorable perinatal outcomes.MethodsThis descriptive study used the data of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) that recruited pregnant women between 2011 and 2014 in Japan. From JECS data, we selected twin pregnant women with favorable perinatal outcomes, which were defined from the aspects of newborn's birth weight, gestational birth weeks and maternal complications, and their maternal weight gain at specific weeks of pregnancy were estimated retrospectively using a regression curve. Estimated maternal weight gain at each time was compared with United States of America Institute of Medicine (IOM) criteria which is cited to Japanese clinical guideline.ResultsThe 321 twin pregnancies were analyzed. The estimated median weight gain at 36 weeks in Japanese twin pregnant with favorable perinatal outcomes was 12.98 kg (interquartile range: 9.89–16.07), and the actual weight gain at delivery was 13.00 kg (10.00–16.23). The estimated cumulative weight gain at 13, 26, and 36 weeks were 1.08 kg (−0.57–2.38), 8.22 kg (5.78–9.84), and 13.10 kg (10.18–16.15) for women with normal BMI, 1.87 kg (0.05–2.78), 9.40 kg (7.68–11.44), and 14.57 kg (12.47–18.08) for women with underweight BMI, and 0.52 kg (−1.27–1.59), 4.10 kg (2.35–7.01), 8.58 kg (5.05–11.52) for women with overweight BMI, respectively. Most of the median values observed in this study did not reach even the lowest limit of IOM criteria.ConclusionGestational weight gain at each trimester based on the IOM criteria seems excess for Japanese twin pregnant women.