[Risk factors for fetal macrosomia]

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Perinatal Medicine
• Maternal-Fetal Health

Background:

• Fetal macrosomia, defined as excessive fetal birth weight, poses significant risks during pregnancy and delivery.
• Identifying risk factors for fetal macrosomia is crucial for improving perinatal outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of various maternal and fetal factors on the incidence of fetal macrosomia.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study analyzed 625 deliveries, comparing 225 cases of fetal macrosomia (fetal birth weight > 4000g or >90th percentile) with 400 non-macrosomic controls.
• Factors assessed included maternal age, height, prepregnant weight, BMI, weight gain, weight before delivery, history of macrosomic infant, diabetes mellitus, fetal sex, and gestational age.

Main Results:

• Significant positive correlations were found between fetal macrosomia and maternal age (r=0.34), height (r=0.33), prepregnant weight (r=0.42), BMI (r=0.32), weight before delivery (r=0.49), weight gain (r=0.34), previous delivery of a macrosomic infant (r=0.41), maternal diabetes mellitus (r=0.54), fetal sex (r=0.37), and gestational age (r=0.39).
• Correlations varied between the macrosomic and non-macrosomic groups.

Conclusions:

• While several factors show significant correlation with fetal macrosomia, they do not entirely account for its occurrence.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the complete etiology of fetal macrosomia.