title: Effects of Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain on Low Birth Weight in Omani Infants: A case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the association between pre-pregnancy maternal body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain and low birth weight (LBW) in babies born to a sample population of Omani women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study was carried out among deliveries registered between 1(st) May 2010 and 30(th) April 2011 at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. A case was defined as a woman who delivered a low birth weight baby (<2,500 g); a control was a woman delivering a baby weighing between 2,500 and 4,000 g. A random selection of 150 cases and 300 controls was carried out using the hospital information system. Maternal, pre-natal, and delivery data were extracted from the mothers' follow-up cards. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were executed to examine the association between pre-pregnancy maternal BMI and LBW.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of underweight mothers (BMI <18.5) was higher among the cases compared to the controls (17.3% versus 6%; P <0.001). The proportion of mothers with less-than-recommended weight gain was also higher among the cases compared to the controls (57.7% versus 33%; P <0.001). After adjustment for potential confounders, infants of underweight mothers had more than twice the risk of LBW compared to those of mothers with normal weight (odds ratio = 2.27; 95% confidence interval 1.09-4.71).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Underweight Omani women as well as women with less-than-recommended gestational weight gain were at higher risk of delivering LBW babies. Maternal health promotion programmes should be directed towards improving mothers' nutrition before and during pregnancies.
authors: Department of Family Medicine & Public Health, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital;
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Al-Hinai
authors: Majid
authors: M
authors: Al-Muqbali
authors: Aisha
authors: A
authors: Al-Moqbali
authors: Vaidyanathan
authors: V
authors: Gowri
authors: Abdullah
authors: A
authors: Al-Maniri
keywords: Birth Weight; Body Mass Index; Gestational Age; Oman; Pregnancy
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