[Food cravings and aversions in pregnant women in the Buenos Aires Conurban, Argentina].

Introduction: Pregnant women often experience food aversions and cravings, of which little is known about their characteristics and consequences. The objective was to know the prevalence of food cravings and aversions, the characteristics of the pattern of foods that are craved or avoided, and the reasons behind their presence.

Methods: Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study.

Changes in skinfolds and mid-upper arm circumference during pregnancy in Argentine women.

This investigation describes the pattern of changes in mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), triceps, biceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses during the course of pregnancy, and its relationship with maternal and newborn outcomes. A prospective cohort of 1066 pregnant women were selected in seven different urban regions in Argentina. Measurements of MUAC were carried out at 16, 28 and 36 gestational weeks.

Reference charts for weight gain and body mass index during pregnancy obtained from a healthy cohort.

Objective: To create reference charts for weight gain and body mass index (BMI) in pregnancy derived from longitudinal data obtained in a representative sample of the Argentinean population.

Methods: A prospective cohort of 1439 healthy pregnant women was selected from antenatal clinics in seven different urban regions in Argentina. Serial anthropometric measurements were made at weeks 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36 and in the last pre-natal control.