Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
-
Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol · Jan 2016
Multicenter Study Observational StudyAssociation of Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain with Preterm Births and Fetal Size: an Observational Study from Lebanon.
Pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are reported to impact the preterm birth (PTB) rate and newborn size. Most studies have been conducted in developed countries, although PTB and adverse pregnancy outcomes are more frequent in the developing world. The aim of this study is to elucidate the association of pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG on the occurrence of PTB and sub-optimal fetal size in Lebanon. ⋯ High GWG increased the risk of LGA for all groups and PTB in normal weight and overweight women, whereas low GWG increased the risk of SGA and PTB. Given that there are not many studies from middle income/developing countries on patterns of weight gain during pregnancy, findings from this study may help with pre-conception counselling with emphasis on the importance of an optimal pre-pregnancy BMI and appropriate weight gain during pregnancy.