The effect of the pre-pregnancy weight of the mother and the gestational weight gain on the bilirubin level of term newborn

Abstract

Objective: Jaundice is a problem in newborns. There are many maternal and infant-related factors affecting neonatal jaundice. The maternal pre-pregnancy weight, maternal body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain may have an effect on the newborn bilirubin levels. We research the effect of the maternal pre-pregnancy weight and gestational weight gain on the bilirubin levels of the newborn infants in the first 2 weeks prospectively. Methods: Term and healthy infants who were born between 38 and 42 weeks in our clinic were included in the study. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMIs were calculated. Babies were divided into three groups according to their mothers’ advised amount of gestational weight gain. Total serum bilirubin (TSB) values of the newborns were measured in the 2nd, 5th and 15th postnatal days. Results: In our study, the 5th and 15th day capillary bilirubin level of the babies with mothers who gained more weight than the advised amount during pregnancy were found statistically significant higher compared to the other two groups (p < 0.05). Similarly, the hematocrit level of the babies with mothers who gained more weight than the advised amount were found statistically significant higher compared to the other two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: We conclude that the babies with mothers who gained more weight than the advised amount were under risk for newborn jaundice. Therefore, these babies should be monitored more closely for neonatal jaundice and prolonged jaundice.