EFFECT OF GESTATIONAL WEIGHT GAIN ON FETAL BIRTH WEIGHT

Background: Maternal weight gain less than 10kg put women at delivery of low birth weight baby or small babies. Undernourished mothers during pregnancy with lower maternal weight lower weight gain during pregnancy results in delivery of low birth weight infants. Objective: To study the effect Maternal Weight Gain on fetal birth weight. Materials and Methods: A observational study was carried out on 124 registered antenatal women who delivered at Krishna Hospital and MRC, Karad. Ethical clearance from KIMS,(IEC). Consecutive sampling technique was used for present study. Data collected by framed questionnaire. After obtaining informed written consent from all. Socio demographic All the samples were followed from antenatal period up to the delivery for outcome measures. Analysis of data by use of SPSS 20 version. Results: Study results shows maximum 46 (37.10%) were from 21-23 years of age, followed by 38(30.65%) were 24-26 years 15(12.10%) were 17-20years, 13(10.48%) from 27-29 years and 12(09.68%) from 30years & above with Minimum 17Years and maximum 34 Years with Mean 24.07 and SD 3.35. Educational status of antenatal women shows one third of women educated up to higher secondary. 108 (87.10%) women were housewife, 15(12.9%) were working women and 1(0.80%) is UPCS Student. Maximum 38(30.6%) women were from Upper middle class and Lower middle class, 32(25.8%) were from Upper class and 16(12.9%) were from Upper lower class. Maximum 96(77.4%) from rural area, and 28(22.6%) from urban area. Maximum 96 (77.4%) from Joint family, and 28(22.6%) from Nuclear family. Maximum 56(45.16%) antenatal women were having normal range of BMI, 44 (35.48%) underweight, 19(15.32%) overweight and 5(4.03%) of antenatal women were Obese. With minimum BMI 14 and maximum BMI 35, with mean 21.13and SD 4.220. Maximum 64(51.61%) were having 6-10 kg weight gain, followed by 52(41.94%) were having >10 kg and 08(6.45%) were having 5kg weight gain during pregnancy. Mean ± SD for weight gain10.09 ± 3.52. As there is increase in weight gain during pregnancy also increase in mean birth weight of new born and p value 0.0001 shows statistically significant. Study findings shows that there is significantly higher proportion of LBW in underweight women. Conclusion: Weight gain during pregnancy is important determinant of birth weight of baby, mothers should be counseled and advised for recommended weight gain and healthy food habits present study concluded that, as there was maternal weight gain there was significant increase in birth weight of the baby, so maternal weight gain during pregnancy should be given more significance for healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.