Do reproductive patterns affect maternal nutritional status?: An analysis of maternal depletion in Lesotho

Poor pregnancy outcomes in developing countries have often been blamed on maternal depletion or on the cumulative nutritional drain of many closely spaced pregnancies. Despite its widespread acceptance, the maternal depletion hypothesis remains unproven. This study examines nutritional status and fertility history for 873 women in highland Lesotho. Parity, age, pregnancy status, length of last closed birth interval, open interval, and median birth interval were used to predict nutritional status (BMI, triceps skinfold, arm muscle area). While there is evidence that both short-term and long-term nutritional depletion are related to lactation and pregnancy spacing, both BMI and triceps fat increase with parity. For this population, then, the assumption of cumulative depletion due simply to high fertility is not supported.