The relationship between maternal weight gain during pregnancy and birth weight in patients referred to the gynecology and obstetrics ward

Introduction : The birth weight of a newborn is one of the important indicators of growth, survival, and development of the child. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the birth weight of the newborn and the maternal weight and maternal weight gain during pregnancy. Methods : This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was performed on 92 pregnant women in Vali-e-Asr hospital in Fasa, Iran, during the second half of the year 2016. Samples were selected by systematic random sampling. Data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire that its validity and reliability were checked and approved. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and independent t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression. Results : The mean weight of newborns at birth was 3181.20±589.29 g. The mean BMI of mothers before and at the end of pregnancy was 23.97±5.54 and 29.61±7.55 g, respectively. The findings indicated that there was a linear relationship between the weight of newborns and maternal weight at the beginning (r=0.23, P-Value < 0.05) and at the end (r=0.24, P-Value < 0.05) of pregnancy. There was no significant relationship between the birth weight and mother’s job, number of previous deliveries, type of delivery, pregnancy age, taking supplements, and sex of the baby (p>0.05). But a significant relationship was observed between the parental raltionship and time of the delivery (premature and timely) and weight of newborns (P-Value < 0.05). Conclusion : The findings of this study indicates the influence of pre-pregnancy weight and maternal weight gain during pregnancy on the birth weight of the newborn. Therefore, healthcare providers should pay special attention to fitting and regulating the weight of pregnant women.