Pre‐pregnancy body mass index and pregnancy outcomes

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Abstract
Objective: To determine the effect of maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI on pregnancy outcomes. Methods: Pregnancy cohort recruited pregnancies between 16 and 18 weeks. BMI evaluated underweight, BMI < 18.5, normal, BMI 18.5–25, overweight BMI 25–30, and obese BMI > 30 women. Results: Pre‐pregnancy BMI classified 331 women as underweight (11.7%), 1982 normal (69.9%), 326 overweight (11.5%), and 188 as obese (6.6%). Obese women were more likely to develop gestational diabetes (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), preeclampsia (p < 0.001), need labor induction (p < 0.001), cesarean delivery for fetal distress (p < 0.001), postpartum hemorrhage (p = 0.003), need neonatal resuscitation (p = 0.001) and deliver hypoglycemic infants (p = 0.007). Being underweight is correlated with fetal growth restriction (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Pre‐pregnancy obesity is a risk factor for gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, labor induction, cesarean for fetal distress, postpartum hemorrhage and neonatal hypoglycemic and need for resuscitation. Being underweight is risk factor for fetal growth restriction.