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Maternal obesity and risk of preterm delivery

Sven Cnattingius1, Eduardo Villamor, Stefan Johansson

  • 1Clinical Epidemiology Unit, T2, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. sven.cnattingius@ki.se

JAMA
|June 13, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Maternal overweight and obesity in early pregnancy significantly increase the risk of preterm birth, particularly extremely preterm deliveries. These findings highlight the importance of weight management for reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Public Health
  • Perinatal Epidemiology

Background:

  • Preterm birth is a major cause of infant mortality and morbidity.
  • Obesity is a known risk factor for preterm delivery, but associations with specific subtypes are unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and the risk of preterm delivery.
  • To analyze these associations across different gestational ages and subtypes of preterm delivery.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based cohort study utilizing data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register (1992-2010).
  • Inclusion of live singleton births with recorded early pregnancy BMI.
  • Analysis of spontaneous and medically indicated preterm deliveries, adjusted for multiple maternal and pregnancy factors.

Main Results:

  • Increased BMI was associated with higher risks of extremely, very, and moderately preterm deliveries.
  • Overweight and obesity demonstrated the highest risk for extremely preterm delivery.
  • Obese women (BMI ≥ 30) had a significantly elevated risk of spontaneous extremely preterm delivery, with risks increasing with BMI.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal overweight and obesity in early pregnancy are linked to increased risks of preterm delivery, especially extreme preterm births.
  • The findings underscore the need for further research in diverse populations to confirm these associations.
Abstract

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