title: Racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes in obese women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the effect of race on perinatal outcomes in obese women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study of birth records linked to hospital discharge data for all live born singleton infants ≥37 weeks gestation born to African-American or Caucasian Missouri residents from 2000 to 2006. We excluded major congenital anomalies and women with diabetes or chronic hypertension. Obesity was defined as pre-pregnancy body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 312 412 births meeting study criteria. 27.1% (11 776) of African-American mothers and 19.1% (49 415) of Caucasian mothers were obese. There were no differences in cesarean delivery or preeclampsia between obese African-American and obese Caucasian women. Infants of obese African-American women were significantly less likely to be macrosomic (0.9% vs. 2.2%, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4 0.6) and more likely to be low birth weight (3.4% vs. 1.8%, aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.7, 2.2) compared to infants of obese Caucasian women. Compared to their normal weight peers, obese Caucasian women had a greater relative risk of developing preeclampsia (aOR 3.1, 95% CI 2.9, 3.2) than obese African-American women (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.9, 2.4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Racial disparities impact obesity-related maternal and neonatal complications of pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Oregon Health & Science University , Portland, OR .
authors.forename: Nicole E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Camelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guild
authors.forename: Yvonne W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Aaron B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Caughey
authors.forename: Donna R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Halloran
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001720:Birth Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002585:Cesarean Section; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005320:Fetal Macrosomia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008923:Missouri; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D044465:White People