Evaluating Mid-Upper Arm Circumference Cut-Offs as a Screening Tool for Undernutrition in Pregnant Women: An Alternative to Body Mass Index

2026-02-27 obstetrics and gynecology Title + abstract only

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BackgroundUndernutrition during pregnancy is a major public health issue and may lead to negative pregnancy outcomes. The body mass index (BMI), considered widely used as the reference method for assessing nutritional status due to its established population-based cut-off points; however, it can be misleading in pregnancy. This study aimed to validate the mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) as a screening tool for identifying undernourished pregnant women (PW) in an urban slum, compared to BMI. ...