Prevalence and associate factors for striae gravidarum.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and associate factors for striae gravidarum in Thai pregnant women.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Material And Method: Two hundred and eighty women who gave first birth and were admitted to the postpartum wards in Siriraj Hospital were recruited. All of them were assessed during the immediate postpartum period for having striae gravidarum or not by the physician. The questionnaire was used to interview the participants for all of the information needed in the present study. The participants with striae gravidarum and the other without striae gravidarum were compared to characteristics of women using unpaired student t test and Chi-square tests.

Results: Seventy-seven percent of the study participants had developed striae gravidarum. Women who developed striae gravidarum were significantly younger (22.8 yr +/- 4.0 yr vs. 26.6 yr +/- 6.0 yr; p < 0.05), higher pre-pregnancy BMI (21.2 kg/m2 +/- 4.1 kg/m2 vs. 19.8 kg/m2 +/- 4.8 kg/m2; p < 0.05), higher maternal BMI at pregnancy (27.3 kg/m2 +/- 4.7 kg/m2 vs. 25.6 kg/m2 +/- 6.0 kg/m2; p < 0.05), higher gestational age at delivery (39.1 wk +/- 1.3 wk vs. 38.6 wk +/- 1.1 wk; p < 0.05), higher birth weight of baby (3,078.8 g +/- 411.4 g vs. 2,895.8 g +/- 339.2 g; p < 0.05), alcoholic drinker (91.4% vs. 8.6%; p < 0.05), had a little water intake (7.4 glasses +/- 2.7 glasses vs. 8.3 glasses +/- 3.1 glasses; p < 0.05), and had a family history of striae gravidarum (82.8% vs. 17.2%; p < 0.05) were associated with striae gravidarum.

Conclusion: Maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, maternal BMI at delivery, gestational age at delivery, birth weight of baby, alcoholic drinking, water intake and family history were associated with striae gravidarum.