The influence of maternal nutritional factors on intrauterine growth retardation in Brazil.

A case-control study of 712 Brazilian mother-baby pairs was performed to assess maternal nutritional factors, more specifically low or marginal concentrations of vitamin A, folate and iron, as risk factors for intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Newborns were classified as being IUGR according to the Lubchenco classification. The gestational age of the newborns was evaluated by the Capurro method. Vitamin A, folate, ferritin and haemoglobin were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, radioimmunoassay, immunoenzymetric assay and by the cyanmethaemoglobin method respectively. The relationship between maternal nutritional status and IUGR was investigated using stratification and logistic regression. According to the final logistic regression model, the risk factors for IUGR were: maternal body weight, per capita income, cigarette smoking, maternal weight gain, prior history of low birthweight, high maternal ferritin, beer intake and coffee intake. Specific interventions likely to have the major short-term impact in this region are not directly related to nutritional factors, but to efforts to reduce or eliminate toxic exposures. Over the long term, improvement in maternal nutritional status and socioeconomic conditions would be expected to produce important benefits.