OBJECTIVES: to present the results of the second anthropometric survey ofpregnant women in Buenos Aires, Argentina. METHODS: measurements were taken of all pregnant women attending the outpatient services of 12 public maternity hospitals during one week. Measurements included weight, height and body mass index (BMI). The survey was a structured survey. RESULTS: the study covered 2811 pregnant women born in Argentina (49%) and other countries (51%). Of the latter, 49% were women born in Bolivia (22%), Paraguay (19%) and Peru (8%). The main nutritional problem was overweight and there were statistically significant differences according to country of birth. The BMI curves for pregnant adults and pregnant adolescents exhibited clear differences. CONCLUSIONS: the survey provided a profile of the nutritional status of pregnant women, using national BMI growth curves adjusted for gestational age and enabled observation of a number of determining social factors.
Nutritional status; Anthropometry; Pregnancy
