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DOI: DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21088/jnmmh.2454.7506.8322.1

Abstract

Maternal overweight and obesity increase risks of pregnancy and delivery complications and neonatal mortality, but the mechanisms are unclear. The purpose of the study was to assess the trends of maternal weight gain among pregnant women. A quantitative approach with the non-experimental descriptive correlative design was used among 200 antenatal mothers in Gynecology wards and OPD of a tertiary care hospital, in Kochi, India. Maternal weight gain in this study was assessed based on the Institute of Medicine (IOM) weight gain recommendations in 2011 for pregnancy. All singleton Pregnancies with the cephalic presentation, on or above 35 weeks of gestation and Pre-pregnancy/Early pregnancy BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m2 were included. BMI was calculated and women were categorized into 4 groups. Results revealed that 57%of they were below 27 years of age, almost half of the mothers were primi and 75% of them were without previous complications whereas 53% of pregnant mothers have complications currently. In pre-pregnancy, Maternal weight gain trends in mothers were 67.5% and 16.5% in Normal BMI and Overweight respectively whereas in the third trimester, 51% were overweight and 30% only remained in normal BMI. The trend in the underweight category showed a remarkable reduction from 12% in Pre-pregnancy to 2% in the third trimester whereas pregnant mothers in the category Obese increased from 4% to 17% in the third trimester. Out of Normal weight gain (N=65) mothers in Early pregnant states, 67.2% of them gained Less than IOM recommended weight (11.3-15.8 Kg), followed by 23.4% of Normal IOM recommended weight and only 3% gained greater than IOM recommendation. Major complications include Fetal distress, Hypoglycemia, and GDM. The study concluded that IOM weight gain recommendations for antenatal women should be followed to minimize adverse health outcomes for mothers and children.

Keywords : Maternal Weight gain; IOM recommendations; Antenatal mothers; Complications.

Corresponding Author : Linda Varghese, Assistant Professor, Department of OBG Nursing, Amrita College of Nursing, Health Sciences Campus, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi 682041, Kerala, India.