Could maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index affect Apgar score?

Obesity is one of global health problems and maternal obesity may be associated with increase in risk of pregnancy complications and neonatal death. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) on neonate Apgar score at minute 5.

In a retrospective cohort study, Apgar score at minute 5 of all singleton term babies of nulliparous women whom were delivered in Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Yazd, Iran, from 2007 to 2009 were evaluated. Body mass index (BMI: weight in kg/height in m(2)) of the mothers were calculated and BMI less than 18.5, 18.5-24.9, 25-29.9 and more than 30 were considered underweight, normal, overweight and obesity, respectively. Neonatal Apgar score of 3-7 and less than three was considered as low and very low Apgar score, respectively.

Eighty-eight (2.8 %) women were underweight, 1,401 (44.9 %) normal weight, 1,389 (44.5 %) overweight and 242 (7.8 %) were obese. 477 (15.3 %) and 31(0.7 %) neonates had low and very low Apgar score, respectively at minute 5. Logistic regression analysis showed maternal overweight [in odd ratio of 3.7, 95 % CI 2.4-4.6] and obesity [in odd ratio of 13.4, 95 % CI 9.7-14.1] were risk factors of neonatal low Apgar score, but they had not any statistically significant effect on neonatal very low Apgar score.

Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight should be more concerned to prevent complication of low Apgar score in their newborns.