Maternal nutritional status is the key determinant of a newborn’s nutritional health at birth. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the correlation between maternal anthropometric measurements and neonatal nutritional status. This was a longitudinal study of mother–infant dyads in a slum of West Delhi. Maternal data and anthropometric measurements (height, weight, and MUAC) were collected. Pregnant women were followed until delivery, and nutritional assessment of neonates was conducted within 72 h of birth using anthropometric measurements (weight, length, head circumference, and MUAC). Pregnant women (n = 178) having gestational age ≥ 28 weeks and their neonates (n = 133). Nutritional assessment of pregnant women revealed that 19.4% had height < 145 cm, the same proportion (19.4%) weighed < 45 kg and 50.34% had MUAC < 23 cm. The mean birth weight was 2708 g and 25.6% of newborns were low birth weight (LBW). Maternal weight showed a highly significant correlation with newborn weight, length, head circumference and MUAC. Maternal height was significantly correlated with newborn weight, length and head circumference whereas maternal MUAC had significant correlation with weight and length of neonates. Other maternal characteristics viz. age, educational status, primigravidity and number of ANC visits were not significantly associated with birth weight. The study concludes that the high prevalence of undernutrition among pregnant women is associated with an increased incidence of low birth weight in their offspring. The significant correlation between maternal anthropometric parameters and neonatal nutritional status suggests that maternal anthropometry can serve as a useful predictor of low birth weight.
Sarika Tyagi (Wed,) studied this question.