Abstract
Objective: To study the effect of pre-pregnancy weight, maternal height and weight gain during pregnancy on birth weight. Design: A community based longitudinal study. Setting: The study was conducted in the rural field practice area of the Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka State, India. Study Period: Between 1st June 1996 to 31st January 1998. Subjects: A total of 75 pregnancies were followed up till delivery. Main outcome and measures: Pre-pregnancy weight, maternal height, weight gain during pregnancy and other baseline characteristics were collected using a pre-tested proforma. Weight of the baby was recorded immediately after birth. Results: The mean pre-pregnancy weight and maternal height were 43.7 kg (SD=6.6) and 154.2 cm (SD=5.2) respectively. The mean weight gain during pregnancy was found to be 8.0 kg (SD=2.6). The mean birth weight was 2869.7 gm (SD=467.2) with a range of 1380-3800gm. A statistically significant correlation was observed between pre-pregnancy weight (r =0.4, p<0.001), maternal height (r=0.36, p=0.001), weight gain during pregnancy (r=0.52, p<0.001) and birth weight. Interpretation and conclusion: Multiple regression analysis revealed that pre-pregnancy weight, maternal height and weight gain during pregnancy were independently associated with birth weight.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 22-26 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Bahrain Medical Bulletin |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 01-01-2001 |
| Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Medicine