ASSOCIATION OF GESTATIONAL WEIGHT GAIN, HAEMODYNAMIC FACTORS AND INFANT BIRTH WEIGHT IN AN ASIAN INDIAN OBSTETRIC POPULATION LIVING IN AND AROUND KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL, INDIA: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Abstract

Objective: The present longitudinal study aims to find out the association of gestational weight gain (GWG) with haemodynamic changes and birth weight (BW). Materials and Methods: The study was conducted among 218 Asian Indian women with singleton pregnancy and of ≥20 years age, before or on 4th week of pregnancy at two multi-specialty nursing homes at Kolkata, India. The studied population was divided into three groups based on the total GWG- low (GWG <25th percentile), high (GWG >75th percentile and average (GWG 25th -75th percentiles). Result: 3rd trimester weight, early and late pregnancy weight change, 1st and 3rd trimester body mass index (BMI), total gestational and, early and late pregnancy BMI change, and BW significantly varied among the three GWG based groups (P<0.05). But no statistically significant difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and their total and inter-trimester changes across the trimesters could be revealed. Overall, the SBP, DBP and MAP across the trimesters slightly differed between low and high GWG group. Scheffe’s posthoc test revealed remarkably strong variation in BW between high GWG group and average GWG group than that of low GWG group. Discussion: GWG is not significantly associated with the gestational haemodynamic alternations in the studied population and it is presumed to exist probable underlying mechanism of genetic, clinical and lifestyle factors. However, GWG is found as prerequisite for obtaining an optimum infant BW.