Table 1 Summary of included studies

Baker, 2011 (England) [22]

Service development¹

To develop a service to help prevent childhood obesity in the future by improving the health, eating habits and physical activity of pregnant women (p 633)

Physical activity and healthy eating

Not clear when baseline measure conducted, post measures at 38 weeks

Participants (N = 75) gained on average 7.3 kg (SD 5.7)

Claesson et al. 2008 (Sweden) [23]

Prospective case–control intervention study

To minimise obese women’s total weight gain during pregnancy to less than 7 kg (p 44)

Physical activity and healthy eating

Baseline ≤ 12 weeks, post measures at week of delivery or 1–2 weeks before delivery

Intervention group (N = 143) gained significantly less weight (8.7 kg, SD 5.51) compared to control group (N = 193; 11.3 kg, SD 5.80)

Ong et al. 2009 (Australia) [24]

Randomised controlled trial (intervention vs control group)

To assess the effect of exercise on glucose tolerance and aerobic fitness (p 419)

Physical activity

Measured at 18 and 28 weeks

No difference between intervention group (N = 6; 3.7 kg, SD 3.4) and control group (N = 6; 5.2 kg, SD 1.3).

Renault et al. 2014 (Denmark) [25]

Randomised controlled trial

To measure the effect on maternal gestational weight gain of a pedometer intervention with and without diet support (p 134.e2)

Physical activity (and in one intervention group physical activity and healthy eating)

Pre-pregnancy and post measure at 36–37 weeks

Both intervention groups gained less weight (physical activity group (N = 125; median 8.6 kg, range −9.6-34.1, physical activity and diet group N = 130; median 9.4 kg, range −3.4-28.2) than the control group (N = 134; median 10.9 kg, range −4.4-28.7). There was no difference between the intervention groups.

Three groups; physical activity only, physical activity and diet, control

Shirazian et al. 2010 (USA) [26]

Prospective historical cohort

To investigate whether a comprehensive lifestyle modification programme would be an effective way to limit weight gain during pregnancy and reduce associated obesity related complications (p 412)

Physical activity and healthy eating

First prenatal visit, not clear when post measure conducted

Intervention group (N = 21) gained significantly less weight (8.1 kg, SD 7.4) compared to matched historical control group (N = 20; 15.4 kg, SD 7.5).

Storck Lindholm et al. 2010 (Sweden) [27]

Prospective pilot study

To control weight gain through an intervention program with the primary aim of limiting maternal pregnancy weight gain to ≤ 6 kg (p 840)

Physical activity and healthy eating

Study entry (first trimester), no clear when post measure was conducted

Weight gain for group (N = 25) was 6.9 (SD 0.4) kg.

Thornton et al. 2009 (USA) [28]

Randomised clinical trial

To compare perinatal outcomes in the control versus intervention group (p 571)

Healthy eating

Pre-pregnancy, post measure was the last weight measurement before delivery

Intervention group (N = 116) gained significantly less weight (5.0 kg, SD 6.8) compared to control group (N = 116; 14.1 kg, SD 7.4 kg).

Vinter et al. 2011 (Denmark) [29]

Randomised controlled trial

To study the effects of a lifestyle intervention on gestational weight gain and obstetric outcomes (p 2502)

Physical activity and healthy eating

At study entry (<15 weeks) and at 35 weeks

Intervention group (N = 150) gained less weight (median 7.0, range 4.7-10.6 kg) compared to control group (N = 154; median 8.6, range 5.7-11.5 kg).

West, 2010 (England) [30]

Community service¹

To create a service which encouraged a healthy weight gain (p 19)

Physical activity and healthy eating

No info provided

Participants (N = 291) gained on average 7.4 kg

Wolff et al. 2008 (Denmark) [31]

Randomised controlled trial

To assess if restriction of gestational weight gain can be achieved by dietary counselling (p 496)

Healthy eating

Pre-pregnancy and at delivery

Intervention group (N = 23) gained less weight (6.6 kg, SD 5.5) compared to control group (N = 27, 13.3 kg, SD 7.5).