Project Title

The Association of Maternal Obesity and Race with Pregnancy Weight Gain and Small for Gestational Age Infant Birth: The Effect of Prenatal Care

Author

Charles E. Mercier, University of VermontFollow
Ariel Carter, University of VermontFollow
Tori Dobbs, University of VermontFollow
Jeralyn T. Bradford-Keel, University of VermontFollow
Emily Dickinson, University of VermontFollow
Victoria Hart, University of VermontFollow

Date of Publication

2020

Faculty Mentor

Victoria C. Hart Ph.D.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association of maternal obesity, race/ethnicity, and prenatal care on high gestational weight gain (GWG) and small for gestational age (SGA) infant birth.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of births included in the PRAMS Phase 8 dataset (2016-2017). The study population was 53,893 non-diabetic women with a singleton in-hospital birth between 37 and 42 weeks gestational age.

Results: Only obese non-Hispanic white and Hispanic women showed a consistent decrease in adjusted odds of high GWG as prenatal care visit category increased. Only non-Hispanic white women showed a lower increase in adjusted odds of an SGA infant birth with more compared to intermediate prenatal care.

Conclusions: The effectiveness of prenatal care in reducing high GWG varies by race for women with a BMI outside a healthy range. More prenatal care did not reduce SGA infant births amongst overweight or obese women.

Policy implications: Interventions to improve prenatal care delivery for overweight or obese women should consider race.

Document Type

Project

Recommended Citation

Mercier, Charles E.; Carter, Ariel; Dobbs, Tori; Bradford-Keel, Jeralyn T.; Dickinson, Emily; and Hart, Victoria, "The Association of Maternal Obesity and Race with Pregnancy Weight Gain and Small for Gestational Age Infant Birth: The Effect of Prenatal Care" (2020). Master of Public Health Culminating Projects. 9.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/mphcp/9