Washington, D.C. ? The economy logged slightly better – but weak – growth in the first quarter, spurred by improved sales of U.S. products overseas. While that’s heartening, the country’s economy is still far from being out of the woods.

In fact, a closer look behind the 0.9 percent increase in the gross domestic product during the January-to-March period revealed much caution on the part of consumers who have been clobbered by the housing, credit and financial debacles.

“What emerges is a picture of an economy that’s gasping for air,” said Bernard Baumohl, managing director of the Economic Outlook Group.

Consumers boosted their spending at the slowest pace since the last recession, in 2001. And, their decreased appetite for shopping sprees reduced sales of foreign-made imports here, which helped to narrow the trade deficit.

The new GDP reading, released Thursday by the Commerce Department, was an improvement from the government’s initial first-quarter estimate as well as the economy’s performance in the final quarter of last year. Both periods were pegged at a 0.6 percent growth rate.