NYMC Faculty Publications

The Vertical Dimension of Obesity: Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in the Short Obese versus Tall Obese Parturient

Author Type(s)

Faculty

DOI

10.1080/01443615.2021.1871887

Journal Title

Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

First Page

43

Last Page

48

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Department

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of maternal height on adverse perinatal outcomes in obese parturients. This retrospective study was conducted from January 2015 to December 2015. Patients with BMI ≥ 35.0 kg/m before delivery were included and divided into 2 groups based on height. Patients ≤63 inches were in the short stature group and those > 63 inches were in the tall stature group. One hundred and twenty-five patients were in the short stature cohort and 124 in the tall stature cohort. Patients in short cohort had a significantly higher risk of preterm delivery <37 weeks (RR = 4.21 [1.24, 12.88]), spontaneous rupture of membranes (RR 1.47 [1.01-2.16]), and second stage caesarean delivery (CD) (RR 2.64 [1.1-6.39]). After multiple regression analysis, Hispanic race and short stature were independent predictors of preterm birth for obese patients.IMPACT STATEMENT Compared to normal weight individuals, those who are obese have at a higher risk of adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes including gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, thromboembolism, macrosomia, higher incidence of caesarean deliveries and perinatal mortality. Our findings show that short stature is an independent predictor for adverse perinatal outcomes in obese women. Specifically, short obese patients had significantly higher risk of preterm delivery before 37 weeks and second stage CD. Our findings highlight the need for formulating a tailored plan for preconception health including pregnancy weight goals in short obese women. Additionally, maternal fat distribution and its effect on pro-inflammatory cytokine profiles is a potential area for future research, as maternal body composition may be a better predictor of perinatal outcome than BMI.

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS