[Malnutrition of the pregnant woman: an overestimated problem?]

The aim of this work was to compare the nutritional classification of pregnant women and their predictive value for low birth weight, using the criteria of the Ministry of Health (Rosso-Mardones curves) with the curves developed at the Department of Nutrition of the Faculty of Medicine and the body mass index. One thousand eight hundred four pregnant women of the Metropolitan Region, that were devoid of factors affecting birth weight, were studied retrospectively. Initial and final nutritional status was calculated according to the three criteria in study. Results showed that 47 to 75% of women classified as undernourished using Rosso-Mardones curves, were normal according to the curves of the Department of Nutrition and body mass index. Rosso-Mardones curves had the lower predictive value, relative risk and risk attributable to maternal nutritional deficit, for low birth weight. Also these curves showed a higher of obesity and a low predictive value for macrosomia. It is concluded that the curves used by the Ministry of Health must be revised.