Diet during Pregnancy and Gestational Weight Gain

Abstract

Excessive gestational weight gain is associated with a number of health complications for both the mother and offspring. Trends across developed countries indicate an increase in gestational weight gain and a substantial number of women exceeding the recommended amount. Dietary interventions during pregnancy represent an opportunity to minimize excessive weight gain during the gestational period and improve perinatal and postpartum health. Several randomized trials and observational epidemiologic studies have evaluated aspects of maternal diet, such as the macronutrient composition, individual foods and beverages, overall dietary patterns, and caloric restriction with gestational weight gain. This review provides an overview of the current evidence to support the development of pregnancy dietary recommendations for the prevention of excessive gestational weight gain. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York.