INTRODUCTION: Maternal nutritional status and gestational weight gain have been addressed because of their importance to fetal growth and birth weight. Inadequate birth weight is a major concern to public health given it has been associated with increasing morbidity-mortality during the first year of life and with increased risks of chronic diseases in adult life such as metabolic syndrome for cases of low birth weight and diabetes and obesity for macrossomic infants. The objective of this study was to describe a cohort of pregnant women according to their nutritional status, gestational weight gain, uterine artery notches, and birth weight. METHODS: A cohort of 115 pregnant women attending the Family Health Program in Campina Grande, PB, was evaluated every four gestational weeks. The initial maternal nutritional status was determined through the body mass index (kg/m²) and women were classified according to Atalah´s criteria for gestational age. Arterial resistance was assessed through Doppler velocimetry on the 20th week of pregnancy. RESULTS: overweight and obesity were observed in 27% of the sample whereas 23% were undernourished. A high incidence of excessive weight gain was found in the second (44%) and in the third quarter (45%). Birth weight distribution indicated that 10% were of low birth weight and there were 9% of macrossomic babies. A high prevalence of uterine artery diastolic notches of was observed.
Birth weight; Gestational weight gain; Pregnancy; Uterine arteries
