[Body mass index in a group of Venezuelan pregnant women and its relationship with the newborns' anthropometry].

To assess the relationship between maternal body mass index (BMI) at early gestation and the newborns' anthropometry, 105 mother-infant dyads from a public Maternity Hospital in Valencia Venezuela, were studied during 1998-2000. Weight and height of adult women between 10 and 15 weeks of gestation were used to calculate BMI according to Atalah's reference (Low weight, Normal, Over weight). Term newborns were assessed using gestational age calculated according to the Capurro method. Their weight, height, and head circumference were recorded, and were characterized using a Venezuelan reference. Newborns whose birth weight (BW) was pound 10th percentile were considered "small for gestational age" (SGA), and those with BW (3) 90th percentile as "large for gestational age" (LGA). One-way ANOVA and Tukey's Post Hoc test were used for group comparisons. There were 41.9% of "low weight" mothers, and 13.4% of SGA newborns. There were differences in the newborns' weight and height according to "Low weight" maternal BMI with "Normal" and "Over weight" maternal BMI (p < 0.05). A high prevalence of nutritional deficit was observed from the beginning of the gestational period, as well as a relationship between maternal BMI and the newborn's anthropometry.