Antepartum Care of the Obese Patient

Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Mar;59(1):148-57. doi: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000173.

Abstract

In the United States, roughly half of women are either overweight (24.5%) or obese (21.4%) when they become pregnant. Women who are obese before pregnancy are at increased risk for a number of pregnancy complications relative to normal-weight women. Specifically, obesity is associated with significantly increased maternal risks, including gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and sleep disordered breathing. Maternal obesity is also associated with increased risks of adverse fetal outcomes, including prematurity, stillbirth, congenital anomalies, and abnormal fetal growth. In this review, we will discuss the implications of obesity with respect to antepartum care.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Spontaneous / epidemiology
  • Body Fat Distribution
  • Congenital Abnormalities / epidemiology
  • Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
  • Diabetes, Gestational / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Obesity / epidemiology
  • Obesity / therapy*
  • Pre-Eclampsia / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy Complications / therapy*
  • Prenatal Care / methods*
  • Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / epidemiology
  • Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / therapy
  • Stillbirth / epidemiology
  • Weight Gain*