Abstract

BALESTENA SANCHEZ, Jorge M.; SUAREZ BLANCO, Ciro M.  and  BALESTENA SANCHEZ, Sonia G.. Nutritional assessment of the pregnant woman. Rev Cubana Obstet Ginecol [online]. 2001, vol.27, n.2, pp. 165-171. ISSN 1561-3062.

The results of a retrospective study that was conducted among 130 women from the health area corresponding to the Rural Medical Post of Pilotos that gave birth from January, 1995, to December, 1998, were reported in order to determine the maternal nutritional status and to relate it to some parameters of the newborn infant. The following variables were analyzed: maternal age, weight gain by trimesters and at the end of gestation and weight of the newborn infant. The percentage, the mean, the standard deviation and the Z stadigraph with a significance level of P < 0.01 were used. The group of adolescents predominated among the low weight expectants and those over 35 prevailed in the overweight group. The non-gain of weight of all the pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy, independently of the nutritional group, and the little weight gain at the end of pregnancy in the low weight group and in the overweight group were also stressed. The birth weight under 2 500 g in the patients classified as low weight and over 3 500 g in the overweight group were significant. It was concluded that the deficient nutritional status of women before gestation exert a negative influence on mothers and their future children.

Keywords : NUTRITIONAL STATUS; FOOD; MOTHER NUTRITION; BIRTH WEIGHT; MATERNAL AGE; PREGNANCY; NUTRITION DISORDER; INFANT, LOW BIRTH WEIGHT.