A Survey of Maternal Weight Gain during Pregnancy Based on Recommended Standards and its Correlation with Infant Birth Weight in Isfahan, Iran

One of the most important changes during pregnancy is maternal weight gain. As optimal weight gain is still a controversial issue, this matter is frequently discussed and surveyed. A limited number of studies have been performed on the correlation between pregnancy weight gain and birth weight in Iran. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine maternal weight gain during pregnancy based on the recommended standards, and its correlation with infant birth weight in Isfahan, Iran, in 2011. This was a descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study. The data collection tool was an information form, which was completed through the patients’ family health files. The study samples were 225 mothers, who referred to health centers in Isfahan and were selected through the multistage cluster sampling method. Data were analyzed through SPSS software, with the significant level at P < 0.05. The mean weight gain during pregnancy was 11.73 kg. In the current study mean birth weight was 3193 g, while approximately 7.11% of them were LBW and 6.22% weighed higher than 4000g. Mean BMI before pregnancy was 25.3 kg/m2 in the study group. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed that pre-pregnancy BMI and pregnancy weight gain were significantly correlated with birth weight. Although, mean weight gain during pregnancy in this study was about its optimal value, we found that a significant percentage of mothers with low and normal weight, in the BMI subgroups, had failed to reach the optimal weight. On the other hand, a significant percentage of mothers diagnosed with overweight and obesity had gained more weight than the standard rate. However, there were a direct significant correlation between pregnancy weight gain and infant birth weight.