title: Obesity affects spontaneous pregnancy chances in subfertile, ovulatory women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is increasing rapidly among women all over the world. Obesity is a known risk factor for subfertility due to anovulation, but it is unknown whether obesity also affects spontaneous pregnancy chances in subfertile, ovulatory women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated whether obesity affected the chance of a spontaneous pregnancy in a prospectively assembled cohort of 3029 consecutive subfertile couples. Women had to be ovulatory and had to have at least one patent tube, whereas men had to have a normal semen analysis. Time to spontaneous ongoing pregnancy within 12 months was the primary endpoint.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The probability of a spontaneous pregnancy declined linearly with a body mass index (BMI) over 29 kg/m(2). Corrected for possible related factors, women with a high BMI had a 4% lower pregnancy rate per kg/m(2) increase [hazard ratio: 0.96 (95% CI 0.91-0.99)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that obesity is associated with lower pregnancy rates in subfertile ovulatory women.
authors: Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands. j.w.vandersteeg@amc.uva.nl
authors: Jan Willem
authors: JW
authors: van der Steeg
authors: Pieternel
authors: P
authors: Steures
authors: Marinus J C
authors: MJ
authors: Eijkemans
authors: J Dik F
authors: JD
authors: Habbema
authors: Peter G A
authors: PG
authors: Hompes
authors: Jan M
authors: JM
authors: Burggraaff
authors: G Jur E
authors: GJ
authors: Oosterhuis
authors: Patrick M M
authors: PM
authors: Bossuyt
authors: Fulco
authors: F
authors: van der Veen
authors: Ben W J
authors: BW
authors: Mol
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D010060:Ovulation; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies