Factors affecting pregnancy weight gain and relationships with maternal/fetal outcomes in Turkey

Gestational weight gain and its determinants among pregnant women attending antenatal care at West Shawa Hospitals, Oromia, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Gestational Weight Gain (GWG) is a crucial factor influencing maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Identifying the determinants of GWG can help develop targeted interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the magnitude of gestational weight gain and identify its determinants among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) services at West Shoa Hospital, Ethiopia, in 2024.

METHODOLOGY

A bidirectional cohort study was conducted among 885 pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) services at West Shoa Hospitals, Ethiopia, before 12 weeks of gestation. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the CesPro application and document review. The determinants of GWG were analyzed using an ordinal logistic regression model, assuming the proportional odd assumptions. The Brant test was used to determine whether the parallel assumption was held. The STATA "ologit" command was used for ordinal regression, and the "brant" test was applied to verify the validity of the model. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated, and statistical significance was declared at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

Approximately 69% of pregnant women experienced insufficient weight gain, 26% had adequate weight gain, and 5% had excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index was a significant determinant of gestational weight gain. Compared to underweight women, overweight women had 10.58 times higher odds (95% CI: 5.24-21.37) of being in a higher weight gain category, while obese women had 10.64 times higher odds (95% CI: 1.87-60.57) of achieving normal or excessive gestational weight gain. Partner education significantly influenced gestational weight gain, with those who could only read and write having 0.22 times lower odds (95% CI: 0.05-0.98) of excessive weight gain compared to those with higher education. Maternal occupation also played a role, as daily laborers had 0.26 times lower odds (95% CI: 0.08-0.87) of adequate weight gain than employed women. The normal hemoglobin category was associated with increased odds of being in a higher weight gain category (adequate or excessive) compared to a lower category, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.04 (95% CI: 1.01-1.08). Conversely, alcohol consumption was associated with lower odds of being in a higher weight gain category, with an OR of 0.49 (95% CI: 0.25-0.99), suggesting that alcohol drinkers had lower odds of experiencing normal or excessive weight gain compared to non-drinkers.

CONCLUSION

A significant proportion of pregnant women experienced inadequate gestational weight gain. Pre-pregnancy BMI, partner's educational status, maternal occupation, hemoglobin levels, and alcohol consumption were key determinants of gestational weight gain. These findings highlight the need for targeted nutritional counseling and lifestyle interventions to promote optimal weight gain during pregnancy.

Infectious diseases in migrant pregnant women from an area of the Colombian Caribbean

INTRODUCTION

Human migration is an activity that affects society in economic and political aspects and as a social determinant because of its differential impact on individual's health.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the situation of health and infectious diseases of vertical transmission risk in migrant pregnant women from an area of the Colombian Caribbean from 2019 to 2021.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on pregnant irregular migrants in the Riohacha and Santa Marta municipalities in Colombia. Hemogram, uranalysis, toxoplasma, FTA-ABS, VDRL, rubella, hepatitis B, HIV (TORCHs), vaginal swab, basal glycemia, and transaminases, among other paraclinical tests, were done on pregnant women. Data was arranged, tabulated, and analyzed in SPSS v.23.0. A descriptive statistical analysis with measures of central tendency and dispersion for quantitative variables, and proportions analysis was done for qualitative variables.

RESULTS

A total of 555 clinical records were analyzed. Of the infectious agents with a risk of vertical transmission, syphilis was the most frequent with 3.6%. Regarding toxoplasmosis, 2.5% were IgM-positive. 4.2% of the pregnant women had IgG antibodies against Rubella and 2 women showed antibodies against HIV.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results reflect the need for the implementation of educational, prevention, and detection health programs with the aim to decrease the number of prenatal infections in the pregnant migrant population for preventing fatal complications both in mothers and newborns.

Önder Hocam merhaba, Aşağıda iki hakemden gelen görüşü iletiyorum size. Hakemlerden biri çok hatalı olduğu için değerlendirme yapmamış diğeri ise basılamaz şeklinde işaretleme yapmış. 3. Hakem görüşünü de ayrı mal olarak hemen ileteceğim. O da değişiklik önerileri olmuş değişiklikler yapıldıktan sonra görmek istiyorum seçeneğini işaretlemiş. Hal böyleyken Yayın Komisyonu düzeltmelerin ve genel tashih ve redksiyonun yapıldığından emin olup hakemlere tekrar gönderme kararı alacaktı. Bilginize sunar, iyi çalışmalar dilerim. Saygılarımla,

Objective: Preimplantation-factor (PIF) is a new peptide with many potential functions. We aimed to compare the maternal serum PIF levels among early-onset preeclamptic patients with the healthy controls at the same gestational age. Patients and Methods: Thirty-nine early-onset preeclamptic (< 34 gestational weeks) patients and 45 healthy expecting women have been added to our study. Patients with or suspicion of any chronical maternal disease, gestational diabetes, twin pregnancies, fetal or placental anomalies or any other obstetric complications have been excluded. Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Elabscience Biotechnology Co., Texas, USA) has been used to analyze the PIF levels in the collected samples. Gestational age, maternal age, gravida, parity, fetal growth, body mass index (BMI), maternal weight and height, plasma PIF levels have been collected/measured and analyzed in both groups. Results: The primary outcome of our study –the Preimplantation Factor- was significantly higher in study group than the healthy controls (100.36 ± 41.92 vs. 83.14 ± 51.27 p=0.016). Conclusions: We have found the PF levels statistically higher in the study group. PIF levels might have a role in the progression and pathogenesis of the preeclamptic patients. Further studies with larger groups have to be planned and performed to resolve the real relation between PIF and preeclampsia.

The Influence of Sociodemographic Factors, Lifestyle, and Risk Perception on Dietary Patterns in Pregnant Women Living in Highly Contaminated Areas: Data from the NEHO Birth Cohort

During pregnancy, maternal nutrition and lifestyle play a critical role in influencing fetal development and newborn health outcomes. The aim of this study is to investigate the factors influencing the adherence to dietary patterns in pregnant women living in highly contaminated areas, and whether women with higher environmental risk perception manifest different nutritional behaviors during pregnancy. Food consumption data on 816 pregnant women from the Neonatal Environment and Health Outcomes (NEHO) residential birth cohort were analyzed. Dietary patterns were computed by principal component analysis. A multinomial logistic regression was also applied to identify sociodemographic, lifestyle, and pregnancy-related determinants of adherence to dietary patterns during pregnancy. Three patterns of food consumption—explaining 24.9% of the total variance—were identified as “prudent”, “high energy”, and “vegetarian” patterns. Results suggest that food choices during pregnancy follow a social gradient and align with other health behaviors during pregnancy: older, better educated, and physically active women with higher risk perception are more likely to follow healthier dietary patterns. Knowledge about what is eaten can contribute to dietary choices. Interventions to improve the prenatal nutrition knowledge of pregnant women are needed, especially concerning younger mothers and those with lower educational levels.

Maternal Obesity: A Focus on Maternal Interventions to Improve Health of Offspring

Maternal obesity has many implications for offspring health that persist throughout their lifespan that include obesity and cardiovascular complications. Several different factors contribute to obesity and they encompass interplay between genetics and environment. In the prenatal period, untreated obesity establishes a foundation for a myriad of symptoms and negative delivery experiences, including gestational hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes, macrosomia, and labor complications. However, data across human and animal studies show promise that nutritional interventions and physical activity may rescue much of the adverse effects of obesity on offspring metabolic health. Further, these maternal interventions improve the health of the offspring by reducing weight gain, cardiovascular disorders, and improving glucose tolerance. Mechanisms from animal studies have also been proposed to elucidate the signaling pathways that regulate inflammation, lipid metabolism, and oxidative capacity of the tissue, ultimately providing potential specific courses of treatment. This review aims to pinpoint the risks of maternal obesity and provide plausible intervention strategies. We delve into recent research involving both animal and human studies with maternal interventions. With the increasing concerning of obesity rates witnessed in the United States, it is imperative to acknowledge the long-term effects posed on future generations and specifically modify maternal nutrition and care to mitigate these adverse outcomes.

Application mattampu as fetal growth education media during pregnancy based on android

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to determine the increase in knowledge of pregnant women about fetal growth during pregnancy by using an android application that is given the name Mattampu.

METHOD

The study consists of 90 pregnant women; 30 first trimester, 30 second trimester pregnant women, and 30 third trimester pregnant women. The sampling technique uses accidental sampling. Pregnant women are given a questionnaire about fetal growth as a pretest, then are trained using an Android-based learning application about fetal growth. After that, they were asked to read and given a post-test questionnaire. McNemar statistical test is used to assess the knowledge of pregnant women.

RESULTS

All pregnant women in all trimesters given learning through the android application media significantly increased their knowledge of fetal growth.

CONCLUSION

The use of the application could increase the knowledge of pregnant women about fetal growth.

Factors associated with gestational weight gain: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to describe the dietary patterns in pregnant women and determine the association between diet factors, pre-pregnancy body mass index, socio-demographic characteristics and gestational weight gain.

METHODS

The analysis was conducted on a group of 458 women. Cut-off values of gestational weight gain adequacy were based on recommendations published by the US Institute of Medicine and were body mass index-specific. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the risk of the occurrence of inadequate or excessive gestational weight gain. Dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis.

RESULTS

Three dietary patterns characteristic of pregnant women in Poland were identified: 'unhealthy', 'varied' and 'prudent'. The factor associated with increased risk of inadequate gestational weight gain was being underweight pre-pregnancy (OR = 2.61; p = 0.018). The factor associated with increased risk of excessive weight gain were being overweight or obese pre-pregnancy (OR = 7.00; p = 0.031) and quitting smoking (OR = 7.32; p = 0.019). The risk of excessive weight gain was decreased by being underweight pre-pregnancy (OR = 0.20; p = 0.041), being in the third or subsequent pregnancy compared to being in the first (OR = 0.37; p = 0.018), and having a high adherence to a prudent dietary pattern (OR = 0.47; p = 0.033).

CONCLUSIONS

Women who were overweight or obese pre-pregnancy and those who quit smoking at the beginning of pregnancy should be provided with dietary guidance to prevent excessive gestational weight gain.