[Factors associated with postpartum weight retention in women attending a public hospital in the Province of Buenos Aires].

UNLABELLED

Pregnancy carries the potential risk of developing and maintaining a nutritional status characterized by persistent obesity. This can be magnified when weight gains exceed established recommendations. This postpartum weight retention can significantly contribute to long-term excess weight and cardiovascular events.

OBJECTIVE

to describe weight retention at 3 and/or 6 months postpartum in women who consulted at the Pediatric Development and Research Institute (IDIP).

METHODOLOGY

analytical, retrospective cross-sectional study. Data were collected from the medical records of women who underwent health check-ups at 3 and/or 6 months postpartum. Multiple linear regressions were performed relating postpartum weight retention to those conditioning factors.

RESULTS

The sample was made up of 257 women who underwent controls at 3 months and 577 at 6 months postpartum. Weight retention at 3 months postpartum was negatively associated with primiparity, higher level of education, newborn weight and exclusive breastfeeding, while at 6 months it was only found with these last two factors. Weight retention at 3 and 6 months was positively related to gestational weight gain.

CONCLUSION

Postpartum weight retention increases influenced by weight gain during pregnancy, but primiparity, schooling, newborn weight and breastfeeding seem to be factors that contribute to reducing it.