RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY MASS INDEX BEFORE PREGNANCY AND WEIGHT GAIN DURING PREGNANCY WITH PRETERM BIRTH

Preterm birth is the birth of an infant prior to 37 completed weeks of gestation.
Several studies in the past offer different kinds of association between anthropometric index before
pregnancy and weight gain during pregnancy with preterm birth. The aim of this study was to determine
association between numbers of risk factors with preterm birth.
Materials & Methods: In this case control study, the data were collected from file of mothers who had
preterm birth and mothers who had normal delivery in Sardasht district, from first November 2012 since
first November 2013. This study was conducted on 267 cases and 534 controls. The data about risk
factors like age of women, palace of living, occupation and education status of mothers and their
husbands, BMI index before pregnancy, and weight gain during pregnancy were collected from medical
records. The data were analyzed using χ2, T students, univaraiate and multivariate regression test.
Results: There was significant association between weight gain during pregnancy and preterm birth
(P<0.001), mothers education level and preterm birth (P<0.001), husbands education level and preterm
birth (P<0.001). But there was no association between living place, occupation of mothers, mothers’ age
and occupation of husbands with preterm birth.
Conclusions: Analysis of data showed there was significant association between BMI index before
pregnancy and weight gain during pregnancy with preterm birth. Offering health education and
promoting maternal health services improve the health of women, fetus, and child.