JOURNAL ARTICLE
REVIEW
Obesity and pregnancy: complications and cost.
The prevalence of obesity is currently rising in developed countries, making pregravid overweight one of the most common high-risk obstetric situations. Although the designs and populations of published studies vary widely, most authors agree that pregravid overweight increases maternal and fetal morbidity. Even moderate overweight is a risk factor for gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and the risk is higher in subjects with overt obesity. Compared with normal weight, maternal overweight is related to a higher risk of cesarean deliveries and a higher incidence of anesthetic and postoperative complications in these deliveries. Low Apgar scores, macrosomia, and neural tube defects are more frequent in infants of obese mothers than in infants of normal-weight mothers. The regional distribution of fat modulates the effects of weight on carbohydrate tolerance, hemodynamic adaptation, and fetal size. Maternal obesity increases perinatal mortality. Long-term complications include worsening of maternal obesity and development of obesity in the infant. The average cost of hospital prenatal and postnatal care is higher for overweight mothers than for normal-weight mothers, and infants of overweight mothers require admission to neonatal intensive care units more often than do infants of normal-weight mothers. Preconception counseling, careful prenatal management, tight monitoring of weight gain, and long-term follow-up could minimize the social and economic consequences of pregnancies in overweight women.
Full text links
Trending Papers
Bacteremia with gram positive bacteria - when and how do I need to look for endocarditis?Clinical Microbiology and Infection 2023 August 32
Abdominal wall closure.British Journal of Surgery 2023 September 16
Antireflux surgery versus antireflux medication and risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma in patients with Barrett's esophagus.Gastroenterology 2023 September 9
Diagnosis and management of prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas: a Pituitary Society international Consensus Statement.Nature Reviews. Endocrinology 2023 September 6
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app
Read by QxMD is copyright © 2021 QxMD Software Inc. All rights reserved. By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app