Influence of Maternal Height and Weight on Low Birth Weight: A Cross-Sectional Study in Poor Communities of Northeastern Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Alencar Britto, Revilane Parente de [UNIFESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Toledo Florencio, Telma Maria, Benedito Silva, Ana Amelia, Sesso, Ricardo [UNIFESP], Cavalcante, Jairo Calado, Sawaya, Ana Lydia [UNIFESP]
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNIFESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080159; http://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/36975

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is associated with an increased risk of mortality, adverse metabolic conditions, and long-term chronic morbidities. the relationship between LWB and short maternal stature coupled with nutritional status was investigated in poor communities.Methods/Principal Findings: A cross-sectional population-based study involving 2226 mother-child pairs was conducted during the period 2009-2010 in shantytowns of Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil. Associations between LBW and maternal sociodemographics, stature and nutritional status were investigated. the outcome variable was birth weight (< 2500g and >= 2500g). the independent variables were the age, income, educational background, stature and nutritional status (eutrophic, underweight, overweight and obese) of the mother. the frequency of LBW was 10%. Short-statured mothers (1st quartile of stature <= 152cm) showed a tendency of increased risk of LBW children compared to mothers in the 4th quartile of stature (> 160.4cm) (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 0.96 - 1.09, p = 0.078). Children from short-statured mothers weighed an average of 125g less than those from taller mothers (3.18 +/- 0.56kg vs. 3.30 +/- 0.58kg, respectively p = 0.002). Multivariate analyses showed that short stature, age < 20y (OR: 3.05, 95% CI: 1.44 - 6.47) or were underweight (OR: 2.26, 95% CI: 0.92 - 5.95) increased the risk of LBW, while overweight (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.16 - 0.95) and obesity (OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.11 - 1.31) had lower risk for LBW. in taller mothers, lower income and underweight were associated with LBW (OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.07 - 3.29 and 2.85, 95% CI: 1.09 - 7.47, respectively), and obese mothers showed a trend of increased risk of LBW (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 0.84 - 3.25).Conclusions/Significance: Overweight was found to have a protective effect in short-statured mothers, indicating that a surplus of energy may diminish the risk of LBW. Short-statured younger mothers, but not taller ones, showed higher risk of LBW. the mother being underweight, regardless of stature, was associated with LBW.