Fat gain during pregnancy in rural African the effect of season and dietary status13 women

Body-fat gain during pregnancy (weight - total body water/0.73) was measured in 50 rural Gambian women exposedto seasonal energy demands of subsistence farming and to annual preharvest food shortages. Twenty-eight women received dietary supplements in amounts previously shown to increase birth weight. In unsupplemented women, fat gain was profoundly affected by the seasons through which the pregnancy progressed, ranging from an estimated loss of 4.7 kg to a net gain of 3 kg at various times of the year. Adjustment for season revealed, however, that pregnancy per se was without effecton body fat content. Supplementation increased fat gain during pregnancy by '-�2 kg(p <0.05) and gave protection against the worst effects of season on energy balance. These findings contribute to ourunderstanding of 1)the consequences of low food intake during pregnancy and 2) the effects of dietary supplementation on birth weight. Am IC/in Nuir l987;45:l442-50.