Pregnancy and neonatal outcome after bariatric surgery

The global obesity epidemic is changing the face of maternal-fetal medicine. One in five women is obese at time of conception, and increasing numbers of parturients have undergone bariatric surgery. Recent publication of large, population-based studies and comparison studies of preoperative and post-operative pregnancies have highlighted new risks and benefits to the mother and child. Pregnancy after bariatric surgery appears to effectively reduce the risk of complications such as fetal macrosomia, gestational diabetes mellitus, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; however, women who become pregnant after bariatric surgery may constitute a unique obstetric population with an increased risk for preterm and small-for-gestational-age infants. In this article, we provide an overview of the current knowledge of the impact of maternal bariatric surgery on neonatal and pregnancy outcomes.