Evaluation of the ability of a Latin-American gestational weight curve to predict adverse pregnancy outcomes

ObjectiveTo assess the accuracy of a Latin-American curve used to predict adverse pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA), large for gestational age (LGA).MethodsMore than 23 000 body mass index (BMI) measurements from 4540 pregnant women participating in a prospective cohort study conducted in 6 Brazilian capitals were analyzed in their relationship to LBW, SGA, LGA, and macrosomia. Analyses were based on receiver operating characteristic curves and models for repeated measures.ResultsThe areas under the curve were less than 0.70 for all outcomes, with low sensitivity and specificity for pregestational BMI (0.54–0.61) and BMI at the last prenatal visit (0.63–0.68). The longitudinal model showed a mean weekly BMI gain of 0.16.ConclusionThe Latin-American curve is inadequate to predict LBW, SGA, and LGA suggesting the need to develop a new approach for the nutritional monitoring of pregnant women.