Effect of maternal weight gain on infant birth weight.
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain whether increased weight gain during pregnancy resulted in higher birth weight infants.


METHODS
A database was constructed from valid data of a sample of 159 healthy women between 19 to 37 years of age. The inclusion criteria were: maternal age of 19-37 years, term gestations (37-42 weeks), a baseline weight obtained at 0-15 weeks gestation, and a final weight obtained within 2 weeks of delivery. Weight gain was calculated by subtracting baseline weight from the final weight. A documented height enabled calculation of BMI. A negative screen for gestational diabetes was required.


RESULTS
Women with lower first trimester BMI (< 25) had infants of lower birth weight than women of higher BMI (> 25). Women with lower gain (< 35 lbs) delivered smaller infants than women with higher gain (> 35 lbs). Women of higher BMI and higher gain delivered the largest infants (F = 5.37; p = 0.0015). Underweight women (BMI < 19) gained less weight than women of normal weight (BMI 19-25), who gained the most weight. Obese women (BMI > 29) gained the least weight (F = 6.26; p = 0.0005).


CONCLUSIONS
The results confirmed that excessive maternal weight gain in pregnancy (> 35 lbs), does result in higher birth weight infants.
Shapiro
C
C
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Sutija
V G
VG
Bush
J
J
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013851:Thinness / Q000503:physiopathology; D015430:Weight Gain