Pattern and determinants of gestational weight gain an important predictor of infant birth weight in a developing country.

Olapeju Adefunke Esimai,Ebenezer Ojofeitimi

doi:10.5539/gjhs.v6n4p148

Abstract

The study aimed to determine correlates of gestational weight gain and infant birth weight of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in public primary health care facilities in lfe Central and East Local Government Areas of Osun State, Nigeria. Over 1000 women were recruited during booking and antenatal clinic and followed up till delivery. Chi square was used in the bivariate analysis of association between gestational weight gain, pre pregnancy BMI and demographic characteristics. The correlates of gestational weight gain and infant birth weight were determined by linear regression analysis.Eight percent are underweight, 10.3% are overweight or obese, 78% had a weight gain less than 7kg and 0.5% had a weight gain above 11.5kg. Ninety seven percent gained less than recommended weight, only 3% of the women gained the recommended weight for their pre pregnant BMI mostly the obese women. Twenty eight percent of the women had infant weight within normal (2.5kg and above). The infant weight increases with the gestational age, maternal age and parity but decreases with gestational weight gain though not significant. Maternal age and parity were significant predictors of gestational weight gain and pre pregnancy BMI was a significant predictor of infant birth weight.The gestational weight gain and infant weight reduces as the pre pregnant BMI increases. Most of the women had low birth weight babies. There is a need to educate mothers on good weight before conception in order to improve birth outcome in view of other factors not looked into in the present study.

Highlights

The inadequacy of nutritional status within reproductive age and pregnancy is an important health and nutritional problem among women and their children; this might bring undesirable consequences to reproductive health, as well as negatively contribute to child development, with reflections on birth conditions and morbid mortality rates (Carvalho Padilha et al, 2009)
Chi square was used in the bivariate analysis of association between gestational weight gain, pre pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and demographic characteristics
There are recommended ranges of total weight gain for pregnant women by pre-pregnancy BMI known as the “Institute of Medicine (IOM)’s recommended weight-gain ranges” The IOM recommends a gain of 12.5kg to 18.0 kg during pregnancy as optimal, a gain of 11.5-16.0kg in women with normal BMI and of 7.0-11.5kg for high BMI and less than 7kg for obese women (Rasmussen & Yaktine, 2009)

Summary

Introduction

The inadequacy of nutritional status within reproductive age and pregnancy is an important health and nutritional problem among women and their children; this might bring undesirable consequences to reproductive health, as well as negatively contribute to child development, with reflections on birth conditions and morbid mortality rates (Carvalho Padilha et al, 2009). Pre-gestational maternal nutritional status and gestational weight gain have been studied systematically, due to the growing prevalence of deviations from their normal values and their determinant role in gestational outcomes (National Research Council/Institute of Medicine, 2007). The increase in body mass index (BMI) among pregnant women worldwide has become one of the most significant public health concerns (Yazdani et al, 2012). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) provided target ranges of recommended weight gains by pre pregnancy body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2). There are recommended ranges of total weight gain for pregnant women by pre-pregnancy BMI known as the “IOM’s recommended weight-gain ranges” The IOM recommends a gain of 12.5kg to 18.0 kg during pregnancy as optimal, a gain of 11.5-16.0kg in women with normal BMI and of 7.0-11.5kg for high BMI (overweight) and less than 7kg for obese women (Rasmussen & Yaktine, 2009). The need to review whether the current anthropometric www.ccsenet.org/gjhs

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion