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Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and infant birth weight: A within-family analysis in the United States

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  • Yan, Ji

Abstract

In the United States, the high prevalence of unhealthy preconception body weight and inappropriate gestational weight gain among pregnant women is an important public health concern. However, the relationship among pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and newborn birth weight has not been well established. This study uses a very large dataset of sibling births and a within-family design to thoroughly address this issue. The baseline analysis controlling for mother fixed effects indicates maternal preconception overweight, preconception obesity, and excessive gestational weight gain significantly increase the risk of having a high birth weight baby, respectively, by 1.3, 3 and 3.9 percentage points, while underweight before pregnancy and inadequate gestational weight gain increase the low birth weight incidence by 1.4 and 2 percentage points. The benchmark results are robust in a variety of sensitivity checks. Since poor birth outcomes especially high birth weight and low birth weight have lasting adverse impacts on one's health, education, and socio-economic outcomes later in life, the findings of this research suggest promoting healthy weight among women before pregnancy and preventing inappropriate weight gain during pregnancy can generate significant intergenerational benefits.

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  • Yan, Ji, 2015. "Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and infant birth weight: A within-family analysis in the United States," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 1-12.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:18:y:2015:i:c:p:1-12
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2015.03.002
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    3. Scott A. Carson, 2016. "The Lasting Effects of Maternal Net Nutrition during US Economic Development," CESifo Working Paper Series 5827, CESifo.
    4. Dolton, Peter & Xiao, Mimi, 2017. "The intergenerational transmission of body mass index across countries," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 140-152.
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    6. Yan, Ji, 2022. "Is WIC effective in improving pregnancy-related outcomes? An empirical reassessment," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    7. Conway, Karen S. & Menclova, Andrea K., 2023. "You’ll never walk alone – The effects of walkability on pregnancy behaviors and outcomes," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    8. Classen, Timothy J. & Thompson, Owen, 2016. "Genes and the intergenerational transmission of BMI and obesity," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 121-133.
    9. Karen S. Conway & Andrea K. Menclova, 2018. "You’ll Never Walk Alone – The Effects of Walkability on Pregnancy Behaviors and Outcomes," Working Papers in Economics 18/16, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.
    10. Tingting Sha & Xiao Gao & Cheng Chen & Ling Li & Qiong He & Xialing Wu & Gang Cheng & Qianling Tian & Fan Yang & Yan Yan, 2019. "Associations of Pre-Pregnancy BMI, Gestational Weight Gain and Maternal Parity with the Trajectory of Weight in Early Childhood: A Prospective Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-13, March.
    11. Conway, Karen Smith & Trudeau, Jennifer, 2019. "Sunshine, fertility and racial disparities," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 18-39.
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    13. Averett, Susan L. & Fletcher, Erin K., 2015. "The Relationship between Maternal Pre-Pregnancy BMI and Preschool Obesity," IZA Discussion Papers 9608, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pre-pregnancy BMI; Gestational weight gain; Birth weight; High birth weight; Low birth weight;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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