Effect of Early Gestational Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain on Pregnancy Outcome

10.30699/jogcr.8.6.563 Background & Objective: The maintenance of an appropriate weight before and during pregnancy has a significant effect on pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, this study attempts to explore the relationship between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) in the Indian antenatal population. This was a prospective study. Materials & Methods: This study was conducted on a total of 301 pregnant women who fulfilled the inclusion criteria booked from the first trimester till delivery in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, SGRRIM & HS, from January 2020 to June 2021. The weight and height of the participants were recorded at their first visit to the antenatal clinic using standard protocol. BMI was recorded and GWG was calculated at each antenatal clinic visit. BMI and GWG were correlated with antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum complications with the application of appropriate statistical tests. Results: In our study, higher pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG significantly increased the risk of perinatal adverse outcomes. Increased rates of cesarean section (57.1%), operative vaginal delivery (9.5%), gestational diabetes mellitus (9.5%), and pre-eclampsia (28.6%) were observed in obese women as compared to women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain. These were found to be statistically significant (p-value <0.001). Conclusion: Appropriate nutrition prior to and throughout the pregnancy plays an important role in determining the health of both mother and fetus. There is a positive correlation between early pregnancy BMI and GWG, and the course of pregnancy, and its outcome.