.Associação entre o ganho de peso materno durante a gravidez e a ação de registro profissional de saúde dos parâmetros da caderneta de gestante

Abstract

CORRÊA, Laís Melo. Association between maternal weight gain during pregnancy and the health professional’s recording practices in the Pregnant Woman’s Card. 2025. 75f. Dissertação de Mestrado - Mestrado Profissional Em Saúde No Ciclo Vital. Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas. The Pregnancy Booklet is an essential tool for monitoring women during prenatal care, gathering information that guides professional clinical practice and informs pregnant women about the changes that occur during the pregnancy cycle. Recognizing its strategic role in maternal and child health surveillance, this study aimed to evaluate the completeness of anthropometric records, including weight gain charts, in pregnant women treated at the São Francisco de Paula University Hospital in Pelotas/RS, as well as to identify associated factors and propose feasible recommendations to improve prenatal care in the municipal network. This is an analytic study, conducted through the secondary analysis of 131 booklets presented during hospitalization for childbirth in the public health system. Sociodemographic and clinical-obstetric data were extracted from hospital records, and anthropometric data (information regarding the completion of page 18 and the charts) were extracted from the booklet and subsequently subjected to descriptive analysis and association tests. The results showed low completeness of the records, notably the absence of height in most booklets and the small number of completed charts, observed in only 14.5% of pregnant women. Although the weight from the first and last consultations was available for most women, this data did not translate into systematic use of the anthropometric page or the weight gain chart, even among pregnant women with potentially serious comorbidities such as hypertension, gestational diabetes, and pre eclampsia. The analysis of the findings suggests that this failure stems from structural factors in healthcare practice, including the overload of teams, the existence of various record-keeping systems, insufficient familiarity with the new graphic model, and the lack of integration between levels of care, which compromises the continuity of care. The results reinforce the potential of the Pregnancy Booklet as a clinical and educational tool, especially in a country marked by inequalities in access to technology and the healthcare system. The study proposes simple measures, such as training staff, standardizing record-keeping, and regularly using anthropometric data sheets and charts, that can optimize the quality of prenatal care in health units and contribute to reducing maternal and neonatal risks, strengthening care throughout the pregnancy and postpartum period.