MATERNAL AND FETAL OUTCOME IN OBESE PREGNANT WOMEN

Abstract

Maternal obesity has become a very serious public health challenge which has implications at the maternal and fetal levels during pregnancy. This cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the obesity effect on pregnancy complication and neonatal health among obese pregnant women. The setting of this research was Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, Pakistan. A total of 108 obese pregnant women were eligible for the study with inclusion criteria of pregnancy body mass index (BMI) (30 kg/m²) and aged between 18 and 40 years, gestational age of 28-42 weeks. Obesity was significantly associated with GDM (p=0.003), PIH (p=0.013), gestational hypertension (p=0.004), and intrauterine death (p=0.009). Also reported was a greater incidence of low Apgar scores in the offspring of mothers who had higher than 36 BMI (p=0.022). These findings emphasize the urgent need for better ante-natal screening, obesity management programs, and specific maternal health interventions directed to ameliorate pregnancy results in obese females. Long-term outcome studies in infants regarding health impacts should be carried out, as well as prevention programs for reducing risk factors associated with obesity in pregnancy.

Keywords: Obesity, Maternal outcomes, Fetal Outcomes, Pregnancy