Assessment of first trimester BMI and total weight gain during pregnancy as a predictor for maternal and fetal outcome at a tertiary care centre

Abstract

Background: Body Mass Index (BMI) and total gestational weight gain contribute to poor pregnancy outcomes. Objective: The present study was carried out as an attempt to evaluate the association between first trimester BMI and weight gain during pregnancy with pregnancy outcomes. Material and methods: The present study was carried out as a prospective observational study on 540 pregnant mothers attending antenatal clinics during the period of January 2016 to June 2017. The participants were classified into normal (BMI: 18.5-22.99), underweight (BMI 24.99) and followed till delivery for maternal and perinatal outcomes. Results: Majority of the study participants were in the age group of 19-25 years (64.1%) and the mean age of the study participants was observed to be 24.31±3.4 years. Majority of the study participants were in the normal BMI group (53.3%), followed by underweight who represented 20.2% of the study population. Higher proportion of obese women were found to have hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (46.3%), pre-eclapmsia (4.5%), gestational diabetes mellitus (23.9%), caesarean/ instrumental delivery (34.3%/1.5%), induced labour (53.7%) and augmented labour (47.8%) as compared to those who are in normal weight range. Conclusion: Women with first trimester BMI in underweight range were at a higher risk of having anaemia in pregnancy, preterm delivery and low birth weight babies. Antenatal mothers with 1st trimester BMI in overweight and obese category were at a higher risk of developing hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, GDM, operative and assisted delivery.

Keywords

• first trimester bmi
• gestational weight gain
• pregnancy outcome