Multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis in women with a normal andhypertensive pregnancy

Background: An increase in total body water is common in normal pregnancy. It is thought to be an important mechanism of maternal adaptation to pregna ncy. Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess longitudinal changes in body water compartments in pregnant women and to correlate these measure ments with the course of pregnancy. Design: One hundred seventy-three pregnant women with apparently normal, si ngle pregnancies participated in this longitudinal study. Anthropometric me asurements and multifrequency bioelectrical impedance were performed during the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy. Results: One hundred three of the women completed all of the measurements; 50 of the women had a normal pregnancy and 13 had gestational hypertension. Total body water, extracellular water, and intracellular water values in n ormal pregnancies showed a significant, progressive increase throughout pre gnancy. In women with gestational hypertension, total body water, extracell ular water, and intracellular water values showed an opposite trend, sugges ting a lack of plasma volume expansion through fluid-retention mechanisms. Conclusions: Our results show that multifrequency bioelectrical impedance a nalysis can be used to monitor variations in body water compartments in nor mal pregnancy and detect gestational hypertension.