Maternal weight gain on labour and neonatal outcomes among post natal mothers at selected hospitals at Chennai

Birth weight has a major impact on neonatal morbidity and mortality and appears to affect long-term health and early adult weight. Excessive maternal weight gain during pregnancy also is a precursor of subsequent maternal obesity. An inverse relationship exists between pre-pregnancy BMI and weight gain during pregnancy. The objectives of the study is to assess the maternal weight gain during pregnancy, secondly to assess the effect of maternal weight gain on labour and neonatal outcomes and thirdly to associate the demographic variables with labour and neonatal outcomes. A retrospective research design was used. The samples were 60, 30 primi and 30 multiparous mothers. Purposive sampling technique was used. Data was collected from the records of the mother, demographic data, BMI, maternal weight in each trimester, complications, mode of delivery, birth weight. The results revealed no association between weight gain and labour and neonatal outcome. Increased prepregnancy BMI and maternal weight gain during pregnancy is associated with adverse labour and neonatal outcomes.