Obesity increases risk of pregnancy complications

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 14 Aug 2003 - 0:00 PDT

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The results of a Danish study confirm that women who are overweight or obese before becoming pregnant have an increased risk of a number of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Moreover, by including only women in late pregnancy who had normal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results, the researchers were able to show that the relationship between weight and pregnancy complications is seen regardless of maternal glucose levels.

'To our knowledge, ours is the first study in which this has been performed,' Dr. Dorte M. Jensen from Odense University Hospital and associates write in the July issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The team looked at pregnancy outcome and prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), a ratio of height and weight, in a study of 2459 Danish women who were glucose tolerant, indicating the subjects had normal glucose levels.

In analyses that were adjusted for other potential risk factors, the risk of complications due to high blood pressure, cesarean section, induction of labor and delivery of an abnormally large infant significantly increased in overweight (BMI, 25.0-29.9) and obese women (BMI, 30 more) compared with normal-weight women (BMI 18.5-24.9).

'Pregnancy complications related to maternal BMI is a growing problem,' the investigators write. 'Traditionally, intensified obstetric surveillance has been restricted to obese women with glucose intolerance, but it is evident from the current study that obese women with a normal glucose tolerance also represent a high risk group,' they add.

SOURCE: American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, July 2003.