title: Patterns and success of fetal programming among women with low and extremely low pre-pregnancy BMI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the frequency of fetal programming phenotypes among women with low BMI and the success of these programming patterns-to determine if small for gestational age (SGA) is a biologically adaptive mechanism to improve chances for infant survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the frequency of fetal programming phenotypes: SGA, large for gestational age (LGA), and adequate for gestational age (AGA) among 1,063,888 singleton live births from 1978 to 1997. We also estimated the success of fetal programming phenotypes using neonatal death as the primary study outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Underweight gravidas with AGA and LGA babies had elevated risk of neonatal mortality when compared to normal weight mothers, while the risk for neonatal mortality among mothers with SGA babies was reduced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The variation in relative degrees of fetal programming patterns and success observed suggests that underweight mothers are more likely to succeed in programming SGA fetuses rather than any other phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Belogolovkin
authors.forename: Amina P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Alio
authors.forename: Alfred K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mbah
authors.forename: Heather B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Clayton
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wathington
authors.forename: Hamisu M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Salihu
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D013851:Thinness / Q000150:complications*