Status: Getting worse
Most Recent Data:
39.1
percent
(2021)
Target:
47.1
percent
Desired Direction:
Increase desired
Baseline:
42.1
percent of females delivering a live birth in 2018 had a healthy weight prior to pregnancy
Increase the proportion of women delivering a live birth who had a healthy weight prior to pregnancy
Summary
More than half of women are overweight or underweight when they get pregnant. This is linked to complications and poor pregnancy outcomes. For example, obesity during pregnancy is linked to high blood pressure and gestational diabetes in mothers — as well as stillbirth and preterm birth in infants. Interventions related to healthy eating and physical activity can help more women have a healthy weight before getting pregnant.
Workgroup: Maternal, Infant, and Child Health Workgroup