title: Effects of maternal obesity on antenatal, perinatal and neonatal outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obesity is critically important to maternal and fetal health during the perinatal period. We have detected an increasing prevalence of maternal obesity in recent years and investigated its complications during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 931 pregnant females were investigated between March 2012 and March 2013. The patients were divided into four groups: body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m(2) was underweight, 18.5-24.9 kg/m(2) was normal weight, 25-29.9 kg/m(2) was overweight and ≥30 kg/m(2) was obese. The effects of obesity on fetal and maternal outcomes were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant increases in pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus, cesarean delivery, premature rupture of membranes, shoulder dystocia, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, abnormal heart rate pattern and postpartum infection rates were found in the obese group during the perinatal period. Adverse maternal effects in obese cases were significantly more frequent than those in normal-weight cases. Preterm birth, perinatal mortality, low APGAR scores, newborn intensive care unit requirement, hypoglycemia and macrosomia rates were significantly higher in obese cases than those in non-obese cases. However, low birth weight infant rate was higher in the low BMI cases than that in the other BMI categories (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that obesity is an important factor associated with pregnancy complications and the increase in maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Perinatology , Tepecik Training and Research Hospital , Yenişehir , Izmir , Turkey .
authors.forename: Muhittin Eftal
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Avcı
authors.affiliation: b Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Ümraniye Education and Research Hospital , İstanbul , Turkey , and.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Şanlıkan
authors.affiliation: b Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Ümraniye Education and Research Hospital , İstanbul , Turkey , and.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Çelik
authors.affiliation: c Gaziemir State Hospital , İzmir , Turkey.
authors.forename: Anıl
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avcı
authors.affiliation: a Department of Perinatology , Tepecik Training and Research Hospital , Yenişehir , Izmir , Turkey .
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kocaer
authors.affiliation: b Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Ümraniye Education and Research Hospital , İstanbul , Turkey , and.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Göçmen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001034:Apgar Score; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology; D004420:Dystocia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005320:Fetal Macrosomia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000453:epidemiology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008470:Meconium; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications; D054238:Perinatal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D011645:Puerperal Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D012782:Shoulder
keywords: Body mass index; obesity; pregnancy outcomes