The relationship between maternal pregestational body mass index and head circumference of infants

Background: The infantile head circumference is an accepted criterion for measurement of fetal development that has a direct association with development of the nervous system. Maternal body mass index (BMI) is an important determining factor that can be useful for the mother’s metabolic state and growth modulation. The present study investigated the relationship between infantile head circumference and maternal pregestational BMI.

Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 366 women with singleton term pregnancy (37 to 41 weeks) and normal delivery in Imam Reza and Motazedi Hospitals of Kermanshah University of Medical Science were studied. Maternal pregestational BMI was calculated by pregestational weight and height. Then, the relationship between  infantile head circumference and maternal BMI was studied.

Results: There was not any statistically significant correlation between familial marriage, smoking, gestational age, parity and gender, and the variables under study. However, there was a statistically significant correlation between infantile  head circumference, infantile  BMI ratio, and maternal pregestational BMI. Also, there was a significant correlation between the maternal age and newborn's head circumference.    

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that infantile head circumference in mothers with high BMI was higher than in mothers with normal and low BMI. Furthermore, the findings revealed no significant correlation between gestational age, infantile growth and maternal education level. Considering the importance of this topic, further investigations are required to study the relationship between fetal growth and maternal BMI.