Association of Weight Gain with Neonates’ Anthropometric Features Between Iranian and Afghan Pregnant Women Based on MOH

Background: The present study aimed to determine and compare the weight gain patterns of Iranian and Afghan pregnant women and investigate their relationship with neonatal anthropometric features. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, the health profiles of randomly selected Iranian and Afghan pregnant women referred to health centers in Semnan city, Iran, were reviewed. Data were collected following the guidelines recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Neonatal anthropometric measures were evaluated based on the reference values issued by the Iranian Ministry of Health (MOH). A statistical significance level of P < 0.05 was considered. Results: The average age of Afghan mothers was 27.36 ± 5.46 years, while that of Iranian mothers was 29.13 ± 5.44 years. The average weight gain during pregnancy was slightly lower in Afghan mothers (OR = -0.88, 95% CI: 0.82 - 0.94). Although the average weight gain in both groups and the percentiles of neonatal anthropometric measures were within permissible limits, a regression model indicated that weight gain during pregnancy significantly affected neonatal birth weight only in Iranian mothers (β = -0.313, P ≤ 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed no significant difference in the impact of maternal weight gain on neonatal anthropometric measures between the Iranian and Afghan mothers. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that nationality (i.e., Iranian or Afghan) does not influence maternal weight gain or neonatal anthropometric measures. The establishment of guest houses and training programs, such as Behbakhsh initiatives for Afghan women, appears to have been effective in ensuring equitable access to health services for Afghan immigrants.