Maternal Prepregnancy Obesity Affects Foetal Growth, Birth Outcome, Mode of Delivery, and Miscarriage Rate in Austrian Women.
Katharina SyböckBeda HartmannSylvia KirchengastPublished in: International journal of environmental research and public health (2023)
The increasing obesity rates among women of reproductive age create a major obstetrical problem as obesity during pregnancy is associated with many complications, such as a higher rate of caesarean sections. This medical record-based study investigates the effects of maternal prepregnancy obesity on newborn parameters, birth mode, and miscarriage rate. The data of 15,404 singleton births that had taken place between 2009 and 2019 at the public Danube Hospital in Vienna were enrolled in the study. Newborn parameters are birth weight, birth length, head circumference, APGAR scores, as well as pH values of the arterial and venous umbilical cord blood. In addition, maternal age, height, body weight at the beginning and the end of pregnancy, and prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) (kg/m 2 ) have been documented. The gestational week of birth, the mode of delivery, as well as the number of previous pregnancies and births, are included in the analyses. Birth length, birth weight, and head circumference of the newborn increase with increasing maternal BMI. Furthermore, with increasing maternal weight class, there tends to be a decrease in the pH value of the umbilical cord blood. Additionally, obese women have a history of more miscarriages, a higher rate of preterm birth, and a higher rate of emergency caesarean section than their normal-weight counterparts. Consequently, maternal obesity before and during pregnancy has far-reaching consequences for the mother, the child, and thus for the health care system.
Keyphrases
- birth weight
- weight gain
- body mass index
- gestational age
- preterm birth
- pregnancy outcomes
- umbilical cord
- weight loss
- mesenchymal stem cells
- low birth weight
- metabolic syndrome
- insulin resistance
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- physical activity
- body weight
- healthcare
- type diabetes
- high fat diet induced
- mental health
- bariatric surgery
- adipose tissue
- randomized controlled trial
- pregnant women
- deep learning
- emergency department
- clinical trial
- artificial intelligence
- cervical cancer screening
- big data
- machine learning