Research Article

Pre-pregnancy maternal BMI as predictor of neonatal birth weight

Rafia Gul, Samar Iqbal, Zahid Anwar, Saher Gul Ahdi, Syed Hamza Ali, Saima Pirzada

PLOS ONE · Vol. 15, No. 10 · Article e0240748 · Published October 28, 2020
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240748

Maternal BMI and Birth Weight in Brief

Maternal BMI, a mother’s body mass index before pregnancy, can affect how her baby grows in the womb. This study looked at 2,766 mothers and their newborns at Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, to see how pre-pregnancy BMI relates to the baby’s birth weight, length and head size.

Key Points

• A prospective cross-sectional study at Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, of 2,766 mother and baby pairs over one year. All babies were full-term and live-born, and were checked within 72 hours of birth.
• By pre-pregnancy BMI, 4.0% of mothers were underweight, 46.6% normal weight, 32.9% overweight and 16.5% obese.
• Among obese mothers, 22.8% had diabetes, 10.1% had high blood pressure and 75.4% delivered by caesarean section.
• Average birth weight, length and head circumference rose as the mother’s BMI rose, so the authors concluded that maternal BMI has a direct relationship with neonatal birth weight.

What This Means for Parents

A healthy weight before pregnancy matters for both mother and baby. In this study, babies of mothers with a higher maternal BMI were heavier and longer at birth, and obese mothers more often had diabetes, high blood pressure and a caesarean birth. Babies who are much heavier or lighter than usual may need closer checks in the first days of life. If you are planning a pregnancy, talk to your doctor about a healthy weight, and bring your newborn for regular Check Ups with a neonatologist or child specialist to follow healthy Growth.

Maternal BMIBirth WeightObesity in PregnancyNewborn Growth

Published in PLOS ONE, Vol. 15, No. 10 (October 2020). PDF shared by the authors.