To explore the association between low caloric intake during pregnancy and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), a case-control study with 264 cases and 892 controls was conducted in three maternity hospitals in Mexico City from January to August 1995. Nutritional information on pregnancy was recorded using a previously validated food frequency questionnaire. After adjusting for other known maternal risk factors in the non-conditional logistic regression analysis, for the total sample, caloric intake did not present a direct effect on IUGR (OR: 0.99; CI 95%: 0.99-1.00). However the odds ratios were as follows for women: with low pre-gestational weight (OR: 2.31; CI 95%: 1.59-3.36), in first gestation (OR: 1.72; CI 95%: 1.18-2.51), with low birth weight infants (OR: 3.54; CI 95%: 1.93-6.46), and presenting hypertension during pregnancy (OR: 1.61; CI 95%: 1.00-2.59).
Fetal Growth Retardation; Mother Nutrition; Energy Intake
