Some factors affecting birth weights in Morogoro, Tanzania

Three hundred and thirty two pregnant women who were attending three antenatal clinics in Morogoro Municipality in Tanzania were followed in their third trimester of pregnancy in a study which aimed at finding if there was any association between weight gain in third trimester and birth weight of singleton deliveries. The relationship between weight and gestational period, age of the mother, parity and maternal weight near term were also studied. Univariate regression analysis showed that there was a strong positive correlation between birth weight and gestational period. Correlation was also found between birth weight and age of the mother, parity and weight near term, while a week correlation was found between birth weight and maternal weight gain in the third trimester. Multiple regression analysis showed that only the gestation period and weight near term were independently related to birth weight. Despite low maternal weight gain, birth weight was not affected, this shows that there might be some physiological adaptation which come into play to protect the foetus where a woman is subjected to inadequate nutrition during pregnancy.