The Effect of Water Intake during Pregnancy on Birth Weight

Abstract

Objective: This systematic review aimed to investigate the effect of water intake during pregnancy on infant birth weight. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted using the keywords "water intake," "dehydration," "pregnancy," "outcome," "hydration," "birth weight," and "birth outcome" in databases such as "SCOPUS," "EBSCO," "PUBMED," "COCHRANE," and through "Google Search." MeSH headings "pregnancy" and "hydration" were used for the search. Inclusion criteria encompassed pregnant women without pathological disorders, birth weight as a studied outcome, prospective cohorts, clinical trial study designs, and Englishlanguage papers. Out of the 254 articles retrieved, six met the specifi ed requirements and were included in this review. Results: The fi ndings from the six studies consistently demonstrated a positive correlation between higher water intake, improved hydration, and increased birth weight. All studies measured water consumption or hydration status between 8-37 weeks of gestation. Regardless of the duration of the studies, underhydration or low water intake was consistently associated with lower birth weight. Conclusion: This review highlights that increasing water intake among pregnant women positively affects infant birth weight. Adequate water intake during pregnancy is recommended to be in the range of 2180 – 3000 mL daily, considering hydration status and the stage of pregnancy