Prepregnancy weight status and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between maternal pre-pregnancy weight status and the risk of stillbirth, pre-eclampsia and preterm delivery.


METHODS
Hospital-based cohort study using prospectively recorded data.


METHODS
Ten public hospitals in Buenos Aires, Argentina.


METHODS
46,964 pregnant women who had a delivery during 2003-2006.


METHODS
Prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) was used to categorize women in four weight categories from underweight to obese. The reference group were women with BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
Preterm birth, pre-eclampsia and stillbirth.


RESULTS
The risk of preterm delivery decreased with increasing BMI, with the highest risk among underweight women (OR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.26-1.67), and the lowest risk among the overweight. The risk of pre-eclampsia was highest among overweight (OR: 1.55; 95%CI: 1.30-1.86) and obese women (OR: 3.10; 95%CI: 2.54-3.78). Obese or overweight women did not have an increased risk of stillbirth in this study.


CONCLUSIONS
Overweight and obese women have an increased risk for pre-eclampsia, while underweight women have an increased risk for preterm delivery. There is a high prevalence of overweight women in the obstetric population in Buenos Aires.
Hauger
Marit S
MS
Department of Community Medicine and General Practice, Medical Faculty, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
Gibbons
Luz
L
Vik
Torstein
T
Belizán
José M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000453:epidemiology; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology*