Early adequate maternal weight gain is associated with fewer small for gestational age triplets.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether the recommended weight gain during the first 24 weeks reduces the frequency of SGA triplets.


METHODS
We used data collected by the Women's Health Division of Matria Healthcare, Inc (Marietta, GA). We studied the frequency of SGA triplets (birth weight <10th percentile by triplet standards) by weight gain, parity, and pregravid BMI category. Adequate weight gain was defined as >16.2 kg at 24 weeks and BMI categories were defined as underweight (<19.8), normal (19.8-26), and obese (BMI>26).


RESULTS
We studied 2890 triplet sets. Adequate weight gain reduces the frequency of SGA triplets, irrespective of pregravid BMI category and parity, except for obese nulliparous women. However, the reduced frequency of SGA infants was significant only in underweight nulli-paras (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1, 0.9).


CONCLUSIONS
Higher pregravid BMI and parity seem to reduce the occurrence of SGA triplets. However, lean mothers, especially nulliparas, may be the most important target population for nutritional intervention in triplet pregnancies.
Flidel-Rimon
Orna
O
Department of Neonatology, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel.
Rhea
Debbie J
DJ
Keith
Louis G
LG
Shinwell
Eric S
ES
Blickstein
Isaac
I
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000502:physiology*; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014310:Triplets; D015430:Weight Gain