Associations of Gestational Weight Gain Rate During Different Trimesters with Early‐Childhood Body Mass Index and Risk of Obesity

Objective This study aimed to estimate the associations of gestational weight gain rate (GWGR) during different trimesters with offspring growth and overweight/obesity risk. Methods The study included 4,807 mother‐infant pairs enrolled in Wuhan, China. GWGR in each trimester was used as a continuous and a categorical variable to estimate the associations with offspring BMI z score (ZBMI) and overweight/obesity risk between 0 and 2 years. Results Greater GWGR (per 0.2 kg/wk) in the first, second, and third trimester was positively associated with offspring ZBMI across birth to 2 years old (β 0.06 [95% CI: 0.04‐0.09], β 0.13 [95% CI: 0.09‐0.16], and β 0.04 [95% CI: 0.02‐0.07], respectively). Excessive GWGR in the first trimester (≥ 0.30 kg/wk) was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.58 (95% CI: 1.18‐2.13) and 1.37 (95% CI: 1.11‐1.71) for macrosomia and 2‐year overweight/obesity, respectively. Excessive GWGR in the second trimester was associated with an OR of 2.09 (95% CI: 1.42‐3.08), 1.21 (95% CI: 1.02‐1.43), and 1.48 (95% CI: 1.15‐1.90) for macrosomia, 1‐year, and 2‐year overweight/obesity, respectively. Excessive GWGR in the third trimester was associated with an OR of 1.91 (95% CI: 1.27‐2.86) and 1.32 (95% CI: 1.02‐1.72) for macrosomia and 2‐year overweight/obesity, respectively. Conclusions Excessive GWGR in each trimester was positively associated with offspring ZBMI and early‐childhood overweight/obesity risk.