Subcutaneous fat accumulation during pregnancy in a malnourished population

1. Total skinfold thicknesses (sum of seven sites) were measured in fifty-seven pregnant women with low energy and protein intake, at weeks 24, 30 and 35 of gestation. 2. Women were classified in two groups (overweight and low weight), according to their weight-for-height at week 24 of gestation. 3. Half of the women did not increase, or even reduced the amount of subcutaneous fat during the observation period. The lowest mean value of total skinfold thickness was found in the low-weight women who showed a reduction of the subcutaneous fat. 4. This finding shows that a significant proportion of malnourished women do not follow the average pattern of subcutaneous fat accumulation seen in healthy pregnant women without food intake restriction, during the second half of pregnancy.