Outcome of Pregnancies in Women Presenting With Increased Body Mass Index

Abstract

Objective: To determine the pregnancy outcomes in women with baseline body mass index of more than 25 kg/m2, at a tertiary care Hospital.

Methodology: A descriptive case series study was conducted in the Department of Gynecology, Unit II, at Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, from February 2020 to August 2020. Cases included women aged 20 to 40 years with a singleton pregnancy of less than 12 weeks and a BMI greater than 25. They were monitored throughout the pregnancy to assess the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), miscarriage, preterm labor, and the need for cesarean section. All data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 26.

Results: Mean age of the patients was 27.73±3.81 years and mean BMI was 28.89±5.11 kg/m2. Out of all, 12.33% patients had DM, 13.7% had HTN, followed by 6.85% cased gestational DM, PIH was in 27.4% cases, miscarriage was in 7.88% cases, pre-term labor was in 21.58% cases and C section was done in 23.29% women. GDM was more common in those with a history of hypertension (p = 0.01), while PIH was higher in cases with three or fewer prenatal visits (p = 0.04). Miscarriages were significantly more frequent with a BMI > 30 (p = 0.03), and preterm labor was more prevalent in those with >3 prenatal visits (p = 0.03). Cesarean section rates were significantly higher in women aged 30–40 years (p = 0.008).

Conclusion: Study revealed that the women with a BMI greater than 25 were at a higher risk of developing pregnancy complications, including GDM, PIH, miscarriage, preterm labor, and cesarean section.