Maternal fat but not lean mass is increased among overweight/obese women with excess gestational weight gain

摘要

BackgroundWeight gain in pregnancy is an essential physiological adaptation, supporting growth and development of a fetus, and is distributed among lean mass including total body water, and fat mass gains. Although gestational weight gain provides a source of energy for the mother and fetus, excess gestational weight gain may underlie reported associations between parity and future metabolic disorders, and is linked to postpartum weight retention and insulin resistance. Although weight gain is often proposed as a modifiable variable to mitigate adverse maternal and offspring health outcomes, our knowledge of specific maternal body composition changes with weight gain, and the potential metabolic consequences, is limited. Furthermore, although gestational weight gain alters maternal body composition, the impact of excess weight gain on fat and lean mass is not well studied. Understanding the accrual of fat and lean body mass may improve our understanding of the role of excessive gestational weight gain and metabolic dysfunction.