Maternal mid-arm circumference and other anthropometric measures of adiposity in relation to infant birth size among Zimbabwean women

Background. To examine relationships between maternal anthropometric measures in Zimbabwean women and indices of infant birth size. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study of pregnant women admitted for labor and delivery at the Harare Maternity Hospital from July 1998 to March 1999. The study population was comprised of 498 participants who delivered singleton infants. Anthropometric measures (height, weight, and mid-arm circumference) were taken during participants' postpartum hospital stay. Logistic regression and least-squares regression procedures were used to assess the association of maternal measures with infant size. Results. Women in the highest weight quartile (>67 kg) were 58% less likely to have a low-birth-weight infant when compared to women in the lowest quartile (27 versus