Maternal Weight Gain during Pregnancy and Somatic Classification of Neonates According to Birth Weight and Duration of Pregnancy Taking Account of Maternal Body Weight and Height

Abstract

Background and Aim: The classification of weight gain during pregnancy and the somatic classification of neonates according to birth weight and duration of pregnancy can be done using percentile values. We aimed to compare such classifications using percentiles of the overall study population with classifications using percentiles that were calculated taking account of maternal height and weight. Material and Methods: Using data from the German Perinatal Survey (1995?2000, over 2.2 million singleton pregnancies) we classified weight gain during pregnancy as low (<?10th percentile), high (>?90th percentile), or medium (10th?90th percentile). Neonates were classified by birth weight as small for gestational age (SGA, <?10th percentile), large for gestational age (LGA, >?90th percentile), or appropriate for gestational age (AGA, 10th?90th percentile). Classifications were performed for 12 groups of women and their neonates formed according to maternal height and weight, either with the percentiles calculated from the total study population or with group-specific percentiles. Results: Using percentiles of the total study population there was large variability between the 12 groups in the proportions with low and high weight gain and in the proportions of SGA and LGA neonates. The variability was much lower when group-specific percentiles were used. Conclusions: Classifications of maternal weight gain during pregnancy and birth weight differ substantially, depending on whether percentiles calculated from the total study population or group-specific percentiles are used. The impact of using percentiles that take account of maternal anthropometric parameters for the medical care and health of neonates needs to be elucidated in future research.

Communicating with parents in neonatal intensive care units: The impact on parental stress

“…Due to the multitude of factors needed to give neonatal prognoses, we utilised the well-established APGAR 5 Score, Small for Gestational Age (SGA) [42] and Clinical Risk Index for Babies II (CRIB II) [43].…”

Genetic Variants in the Genes of the Stress Hormone Signalling Pathway and Depressive Symptoms during and after Pregnancy

“…During pregnancy the overall prevalence of depressive episodes is about 10–20% [ 1 , 2 ] and about 6–15% in childbed [ 3 , 4 ]. A total of about 70,000–90,000 women in Germany suffer from this disorder every year, with 5-6% developing major depression [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]. The prevalence compares to that of non-pregnancy-associated depression; however, new depression occurs more often during pregnancy and in the postpartum period [ 6 ].…”

The Association Between the Maternal Body Mass Index and the Birth Weight of Infants Born

“…A pregnant women's body mass index (BMI) plays a significant role in the outcome of the pregnancy and the birth weight of infants. BMI is the relative measurement of the percentage of fat and muscle mass in the human body, which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters (1). High body mass index is also associated with increased blood pressure, gestational diabetes, postpartum hemorrhage, induction of labor, cesarean section, and macrosomic fetus, and conversely, the lowest maternal mortality rate during pregnancy is related to women who had a normal BMI before pregnancy (2,3).…”