Maternal anthropometry and weight gain as risk factors for poor pregnancy outcomes in a rural area of southern Malawi.

Introduction Poor pregnancy outcomes are frequent in developing countries. The commonly studied outcomes are low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth and intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR), both of which are related to LBW. Pregnancy outcomes are influenced by several maternal factors including malaria nutrition, psychological stress and socio-demographic factors. Apart from nutritional and psycho-socio factors, pregnancy outcomes are also influenced by maternal anthropometric indices. In developing countries, low prepregnancy body mass indexes are on the other hand predictors of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Most important, poor pregnancy outcomes are not an end in themselves, but lead to increased neonatal morbidity and mortality, and must therefore be controlled.1