Amniotic fluid index curves in the obese gravida

To determine whether amniotic fluid volume as measured by amniotic fluid index (AFI) is influenced by maternal pre-gestational obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI).

This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnant women between 20 and 43 weeks gestation receiving ultrasounds with AFI measurements at Augusta University Medical Center between 2003 and 2017. A subset of 500 charts that met inclusion and exclusion criteria were reviewed to obtain maternal clinical data. The study cohort was subdivided by maternal BMI at initial obstetric visit into three groups: normal weight (18.5 kg/m2-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0 kg/m2-29.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥ 30 kg/m2). Chi-square analysis was used to compare BMI groups in terms of categorical clinical characteristics and outcome variables, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for continuous variables. Mixed effects regression models (MRMs) were used to evaluate AFI throughout gestation separately in each group, and MRM-based analysis of covariance was used to compare AFI throughout gestation among groups. AFI curves were constructed for the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles for all study subjects combined and separately for normal weight, overweight, and obese subjects.

Fitted curves relating AFI percentiles to estimated gestational age (EGA) showed statistically significant differences among BMI groups. There was also a significant difference in AFI over gestation across the obesity groups.

Fitted curves for AFI throughout pregnancy showed statistically significant differences among BMI groups.