Influence of pre pregnant BMI and gestational weight gain on pregnancy outcomes among mothers admitted for delivery in Teaching Hospital Batticaloa

Abstract

Background: The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity among women of childbearing years have increased dramatically in the past decades. Growing evidence has highlighted the role of maternal nutritional status on fetal development, birth outcomes and child health.Objective: This study aimed to describe the influence of pre-pregnant BMI & gestational weight gain on pregnancy outcomes in terms of babies’ birth weight among mothers admitted for delivery in Teaching Hospital Batticaloa.Methodology: This was a cross sectional descriptive study among pregnant mothers in Teaching Hospital Batticaloa. A total of 217 pregnant women were recruited during their first trimester from obstetric wards. During the first visit, data collection included pre-pregnancy weight, socio demographic and lifestyle characteristics using an interviewer administered questionnaire. The weight before delivery and neonatal outcomes were extracted from the medical records. GWG was calculated as the difference between weight before delivery and pre-pregnancy weight and was classified into insufficient, adequate, and excessive, as per the IOM criteria.Results: Overall, 46.1% of women had a normal pre-pregnancy BMI. While 23.0%, 19.8% and 11.1% were under underweight, overweight and obese categories respectively. And 61.8% of women had insufficient GWG, while 25.3% and 12.9% of women had adequate and excessive GWG, respectively. In total babies 82.5% of infants had a weight adequate-for-gestational age (AGA), 17.1% were small for gestational age (SGA) and 0.5% were large for gestational age (LGA).Conclusion: There is significant influence of maternal prepregnant BMI on babies’ birth weight. Therefore the significant prevalence of pre-pregnancy underweight among participants underscores the need for specific intervention programs to promote healthy body weight in women of childbearing age, and to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes.