Group prenatal care intervention may prevent obesity transmission

A group prenatal care intervention appears beneficial in addressing several factors associated with intergenerational transmission of obesity, suggests a study in American Samoa.

Eighty low-risk pregnant women at <14 weeks’ gestation were enrolled in this study. The authors then performed a complete case analysis with randomized group assignment (group prenatal care-delivered intervention vs one-on-one usual care) as the independent variable.

Gestational weight gain and postpartum weight change were assessed as the primary outcome, while secondary outcomes included gestational diabetes screening and exclusive breastfeeding at 6 weeks postpartum. Other outcomes examined were gestational diabetes incidence, preterm birth, mode of birth, infant birth weight, and macrosomia.

The group-delivered intervention participants had lower gestational weight gain than those who received usual care (mean 9.46 vs 14.40 kg; p=0.10), while postpartum weight change did not significantly differ between groups.

The proportion of women who received adequate gestational diabetes screening was similar between groups (78.4 percent vs 65.6 percent), but clinically important differences were noted in exclusive breastfeeding (44.4 percent vs 25 percent), incidence of gestational diabetes (27.3 percent vs 40.0 percent), and macrosomia (8.3 percent vs 29.0 percent).

“It may be possible to address multiple risk factors related to intergenerational transmission of obesity in this high-risk setting using a group care-delivered intervention,” the authors said.