engleski

Mother`s health in pregnancy and newborn size in the CRIBS cohort

Woman`s socio-economic status (SES) indicators (age, education, employment status, income), lifestyle in pregnancy (smoking, physical status), pre-pregnancy BMI and health in pregnancy (levels of serum biochemical parameters measured 22nd - 26th week of pregnancy, complications in pregnancy) are known to affect size-at-birth of a newborn. Healthy women with no history of chronic diseases, who conceived naturally and had singleton pregnancies have been participating in the CRoatian Islands` Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS), an ongoing project in the Eastern Adriatic, Croatia. In this preliminary sample (n=316), mothers` SES and health status indicators were tested for the possible association with newborns` (152 females, 146 males) anthropometric measures (weight, length and head circumference) and size according to gestational age. Elevated total, HDL and LDL cholesterol significantly associated with newborns` head circumference, while glucose associated with BMI and weight/length ratio. Women who were before pregnancy overweight or obese gave birth to significantly heavier and longer newborns when compared to pre-pregnancy underweight and normal weight. Women who self- reported intensive level of physical activity during pregnancy gave birth to significantly shorter and lighter children. SES parameters, smoking and complications in pregnancy (IUGR, GDM, preeclampsia, gestational HT, hypothyreosis) showed no association with size at birth.

pregnancy ; health status ; size at birth ; birth cohort ; CRIBS ; Croatia

nije evidentirano