Abstract

MARTINEZ BARROSO, María Teresa et al. Maternal weight gain and its relationship with newborn baby weight. Rev Cubana Obstet Ginecol [online]. 1999, vol.25, n.2, pp. 114-117. ISSN 1561-3062.

To set the differences in the effects of mother's weight on fetus, a prospective study of 171 low weight pregnant women who had visited the medical nutrition office in the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Cienfuegos province was performed from January to December, 1997. Weight and height of pregnant patients at the beginning and at the end of pregnancy together with their newborns birth weights were recorded. Primary data were gathered to create a database using an EPINFO statistical package. When establishing relationship among factors, we found that there was a direct relation between maternal weight gain and newborn weight gain, with square chi = 21.02, p< 0,0001 and confidence interval 95 %. Relative risk for inadequate maternal weight gain was 6.46. We concluded that as the pregnant woman increases her weight by 8 kgs or more, better results in birth weight will be obtained regardless of the level of malnutrition at the beginning of her pregnancy.

Keywords : WEIGHT GAIN; PREGNANCY; NUTRITION DISORDERS; BIRTH WEIGHT.

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