Abstract
IntroductionWeight gain during pregnancy is an important indicator of maternal and fetal nutrition during pregnancy. However, information regarding the effect of pregnancy weight gain on birth weight is lacking from developing countries.ObjectiveTo determine the effect of pregnancy weight gain on the newborn’s birth weight in mothers attending antenatal care (ANC) services from private clinics.MethodsHealth facility-based follow-up study was conducted among 332 pregnant mothers attending their antenatal care in Mekelle city, from October 2016 to June 2017. Before 28 weeks of gestation, pregnancy weight was collected retrospectively, then, mothers were followed-up until the time of infant delivery to record their birth weight. Data were also collected by a structured questionnaire and checklists and analyzed using SPSS version 21. The relationship between dependent and independent variables was assessed and presented using descriptive statistics, as well as t-test, ANOVA, and multivariable linear regression analysis. Variables:—pre-pregnancy BMI, maternal age, parity, decision making power on monetary resources, pregnancy interval, availability of housemaid, women dietary diversity score, maternal occupation, and pregnancy weight gain were included in the multivariable analysis.ResultsMaternal weight increased monthly at a mean ± SD rate of 2 ± 0.7 kg in the second trimester, and 1.5 ± 0.7 kg in the third trimester. The mean ± SD of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and total pregnancy weight gain was 23.8 ± 4.6 kg/m2, and 12 ± 2.8 kg respectively. The mean ± SD of birth weight was 3440 ± 542 grams. Weight gain has a significant effect on infant birth weight, a 1 kg increase in the pregnancy weight was associated with 94 g increase in BW (β = 97, 95% CI: 73–120). After dividing the pre-pregnancy weight into four groups (< 18.5, 18.5–24.9, 25–29.9 and ≥30) kg/m2 based on the Institute of Medicine (IOM), we found a statistically significant birth weight difference between each group.ConclusionPregnancy weight gain has a significant effect on birth weight. Thus, ANC counseling services should focus on maternal weight gain to prevent sub-optimal birth weight.
Highlights
Weight gain during pregnancy is an important indicator of maternal and fetal nutrition during pregnancy
Weight gain has a significant effect on infant birth weight, a 1 kg increase in the pregnancy weight was associated with 94 g increase in Birth weight (BW) (β = 97, 95% CI: 73–120)
After dividing the pre-pregnancy weight into four groups (< 18.5, 18.5–24.9, 25–29.9 and 30) kg/m2 based on the Institute of Medicine (IOM), we found a statistically significant birth weight difference between each group
Summary
Health facility-based follow-up study was conducted among 332 pregnant mothers attending their antenatal care in Mekelle city, from October 2016 to June 2017. Before 28 weeks of gestation, pregnancy weight was collected retrospectively, mothers were followed-up until the time of infant delivery to record their birth weight. The study was conducted from October 2016 to June 2017 among pregnant women attending ANC in selected private health facilities of Mekelle city, Tigray, which is one of the nine regions in Ethiopia. Mekelle is the capital city of Tigray region and is located 780 kilometers north of Addis Ababa, the capital city of the country It has seven sub-cities and 33 Kebelles. Before 28 weeks of gestation, monthly weight was collected retrospectively from mother’s ANC card and mothers were followed-up until the time of delivery to record the BW. Maternal weight was measured using digital weight measuring scale (in three clinics), and
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