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Obese women at increased risk for adverse maternal, neonatal outcomes

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The Obesity Society’s 27th Annual Scientific Meeting

Women who are obese during pregnancy are at increased risk for preterm birth, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery and postpartum weight retention, according to data presented today.

Kimberly K. Vesco, MD, MPH, obstetrician-gynecologist at Mount Talbert Medical Office and Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center, presented data on pregnancy outcomes and postpartum weight retention for 6,110 normal-weight women and 3,130 obese women included in an HMO database.

Weight gain at one year was defined as the difference between baseline weight during pregnancy and weight at 243 to 547 days postpartum.

Mean baseline weight was 131 lb for normal-weight women vs. 214 lb for obese women. Mean gestational weight gain was lower among obese women compared with normal weight women (24 lb vs. 34 lb; P≤.001). However, 33% of obese women weighed more than 10 lb more at one year postpartum than they did at the onset of pregnancy compared with 21% of normal-weight women (P<.0001).

Obese women had an increased risk for preterm birth (7% vs. 6%; P=.03), preeclampsia (17% vs. 7%), gestational diabetes (7% vs. 2%), cesarean delivery (36% vs. 19%; P≤.0001) and gestational hypertension.

Further, infants born to obese women had a higher mean birth weight when compared with infants born to normal-weight women (P≤.0001).

Study results also reveal that obese women were more likely to smoke (19% vs. 13%), have a diagnosis of depression (13% vs. 9%) and chronic hypertension during pregnancy (12% vs. 3%), and have diabetes (2.6% vs. 0.4%; P=.0001) compared with leaner women.

"There should be efforts to promote weight loss among obese reproductive-aged women, particularly those planning a pregnancy," Vesco told Endocrine Today. "In addition, programs should be developed to limit gestational weight gain during pregnancy and to assist with weight-loss after delivery." - by Jennifer Southall

For more information:

• Vesco K. #49-OR. Presented at: the Obesity Society’s 27th Annual Scientific Meeting; Oct. 24-28, 2009; Washington.