title: Association between maternal and fetal weight gain: cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Excessive gestational weight gain is related to many complications (both maternal and fetal), such as macrosomia. The most common complications in macrosomic fetuses include: increased risk of intrauterine death, need for intensive care, fractures, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, paralysis of the brachial plexus and obesity in childhood and adulthood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between gestational and fetal weight gain and the incidence of macrosomia in two maternity hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study in two public maternity hospitals in Goiânia, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cohort study on 200 healthy pregnant women with normal body mass index, divided into two groups: one with normal weight gain and the other with excessive weight gain during pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cohorts were similar regarding maternal age, per capita income, schooling level and reproductive behavior. The fetal weight was greater in the cohort with excessive maternal weight gain (3,388.83 g ± 514.44 g) than in the cohort with normal weight (3,175.86 g ± 413.70 g) (P < 0.01). The general incidence of macrosomia was 6.5%: 13.0% (13 cases) in the cohort with excessive maternal weight gain and 0.0% (0 cases) in the cohort with adequate weight gain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Excessive maternal weight gain was associated with increased fetal birth weight and incidence of macrosomia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Universidade Paulista, Goiânia, Brazil. babinut@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Bárbara Miranda Ferreira
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Régis Resende
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Paulinelli
authors.forename: Maria Alves
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005320:Fetal Macrosomia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D020567:Fetal Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult