Introduction: Excess newborn adiposity is a risk factor for childhood obesity and noncommunicable diseases. Identifying infants with increased adiposity and modifiable risk factors are crucial to implement preventive strategies at primary as well as primordial levels. Objectives: To assess the impact of GWG and maternal pre-pregnancy BMI on neonatal adiposity . Methods: Skinfold thickness was measured in 208 term newborns whose mothers were recruited and followed up at the antenatal clinic, Teaching Hospital Peradeniya. An intervieweradministered questionnaire was used for data collection. Newborn birth weight (NBW) and SFT of triceps (Tr), subscapular (Sc), and suprailiac (Si) SFT were measured. Central adiposity was calculated by addition of Si and Sc SFT. Total SFT was calculated by addition of all the SFT measurements. Spearman correlation, Multiple Linear Regression, Kruskal Wallis test and Mann Whitney U test were performed using SPSS Version 27 . Results: High preconceptual BMI was found in 37 .5%, while 12.0% had low BMI. GWG above and below the recommendation was seen in 13.5% and 53.8% respectively . Pre-pregnancy BMI positively correlated with all the types of SFT (p < 0.05). Maternal obesity resulted in higher newborn central and total adiposity (p < 0.05). Only , the GWG and neonatal gender predicted the adiposity at birth (p < 0.05), where female neonates and neonates of mothers with excess GWG, showed a significantly higher central and total adiposity (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Maternal BMI and GWG are important determinants of neonatal adiposity and SFT measurement is a feasible method in determining newborn fat mass.