Maternal anthropometry as a predictor of birth weight

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether maternal anthropometry predicted birth weight, and if so, to identify which cut-offs provided the best prediction of low birth weight (LBW) in a field situation. DESIGN: Community-based longitudinal study. SETTING: A rural union of Bhaluka Upazila, Mymensingh, located 110 km north-west of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1104 normotensive, non-smoking pregnant women who attended community nutrition centres were studied from first presentation at the centre until delivery of their child. RESULTS: Most of the pregnant mothers were between 20 and 34 years of age. Over one-third of the women were nulliparous, while 12.8% were multiparous (parity >/= 4). Most (93%) mothers registered between the 3rd and 5th month of pregnancy. The frequency…