Abstract
Studies of pregnant women in the US and Europe show that maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI influences gestational weight gain (GWG) and birth outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine that relationship in South Korean pregnant women. Pregnant women were classified into three groups based on the pre‐pregnancy BMI (over ≥23; normal 18.5–22.9; under <18.5) using Asia‐Pacific BMI criteria. GWG was computed from the difference between delivery weight and self‐reported pre‐pregnancy weight. Underweight pregnant women were younger than normal and overweight pregnant women (p=0.0197). Weight and BMI (p<.0001) and waist circumference (p<.0001) were significantly different among three groups at baseline. GWG was lower in overweight pregnant women (12.3±4.8kg) than normal (14.4±4.6kg) and underweight (14.8±5.1kg) groups (p=0.0064). Overweight pregnant women had more complications (p=0.0408) and preterm delivery (p=0.0051) compare to underweight and normal pregnant women. The results imply that the pre‐pregnancy obesity status may influence on GWG and birth outcomes as has been observed in other populations. The results suggest a need for initiating nutritional interventions during the pre‐pregnancy period. This research was supported by World Class University program funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (R33‐10053) and the Brain Korea 21 Project in 2012.
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