title: Maternal weight gain in low-income black and Hispanic women: evaluation by use of weight-for-height near term.
abstract: This study determined the prevalence of low maternal weight gain among a target group of low-income black and Hispanic women and compared weight-for-height near term with total weight gain during pregnancy as an index of birth-weight classification. One-third (30.8%) of 325 women had weights near term less than 120% of their standard pregravid weight-for-height; there was little variation by ethnic group. After adjusting for gestational age as a covariate of birth weight (P = 0.0001), maternal weight-for-height near term (P = 0.0010), ethnicity (P " 0.0068), and parity (P = 0.0083) significantly influenced birth weight. Women with near-term weights greater than or equal to 120% of their standard pregravid weight-for-height delivered infants with higher birth weights (P = 0.001). Comparison of weight-for-height near term with total weight gain as an index of birth-weight classification (less than or greater than or equal to 3000 g) revealed that the two methods differ in terms of sensitivity and specificity with variation in pregravid weight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uauy
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Jennings
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height / Q000208:ethnology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015430:Weight Gain