Abstract
BACKGOUND: Pregnancy is a stressful condition, lipid peroxidation increases as pregnancy advances. This has also been linked to increase body weight in a non pregnancy state. Pregnant women experience weight gained within a short period than non pregnant women. Some pregnant women probably experience increase in lipid peroxidation product (oxidative stress) due to increase body weightOBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of weight gain during pregnancy on plasma MDA (product of lipid peroxidation) levelMETHOD: The study site was antenatal clinic of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Ninety eight normal pregnant women were recruited in their second trimester into the study. Weight, Height and BMI as well as plasma MDA were determined in second and third trimesters. Variables were statistically analyzed using SPSS 16 taking levels of significant to be <0.05RESULTS: The mean age of the study group was 28.58 years, gestational age in second and third trimesters were 24.10 weeks and 32.20 weeks respectively. Subjects that did not gain weight at all had their mean plasma MDA level to be 0.10 ?mol/l. Subjects that gained between 1 to 4 kg had their average plasma MDA to be 1.61 ?mol/l. Mean plasma MDA levels for subjects that gained 5-9 kg as well as those that gained more than 10kg were 2.12 and 2.51 ?mol/l respectively CONCLUSSION: Product of lipid peroxidation increases with increase in body weight as pregnancy advances. This may be an additive effect to increasing oxidative stress observed as pregnancy advances