title: Obesity trends and perinatal outcomes in black and white teenagers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to explore the trends in prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) for black and white teenagers over time and the association between elevated BMI and outcomes based on race.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective cohort study of singleton infants (n = 38,158) born to black (34%) and white (66%) teenagers (<18 years of age). We determined the prevalence of elevated prepregnancy BMI between 1993 and 2006 and the association between elevated prepregnancy BMI (primary exposure) and maternal and perinatal outcomes based on race (2000-2006).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of white teenagers with elevated prepregnancy BMI increased significantly from 17-26%. White and black overweight and obese teenagers were more likely to have pregnancy-related hypertension than normal-weight teenagers; postpartum hemorrhage was increased only in obese black teenagers, and infant complications were increased only in overweight and obese white teenagers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because the percentage of elevated prepregnancy BMI has increased in white teenagers, specific risks for poor maternal and perinatal outcomes in the overweight and obese teenagers varies by race.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA. dhallor2@slu.edu
authors.forename: Donna R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Halloran
authors.forename: Nicole E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kunovich
authors.forename: Aaron B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Caughey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology*