The relationship between maternal height and weight at booking and perinatal mortality

In this study, more of the Coloured women weighed less than 45 kg and more of them were significantly shorter than Black and White women. The short (less than 149 cm) Coloureds had a high perinatal mortality, as did the thin Coloureds (less than 45 kg). The short, thin Coloured women had the highest perinatal mortality, and fetal loss in this group was associated with preterm delivery, stillbirths before labour and fetoplacental inadequacy. Maternal height is an indicator of nutrition in childhood and maternal weight an indicator of more recent nutrition. Weight gain in pregnancy is particularly important in short, thin individuals.