Obese Glucose-Tolerant Women at High Risk for Pregnancy Complications
posted 08/25/03
Women who are overweight or obese before becoming pregnant have an increased risk of a number of adverse pregnancy outcomes
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Moreover, by including only pregnant women with normal late-pregnancy oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results, the researchers were able to show that this relationship is independent of maternal glucose levels.

"To our knowledge, ours is the first study in which this has been performed," Dr. Dorte M. Jensen from Odense University Hospital and associates write in the July issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The team looked at pregnancy outcome and pre-pregnancy BMI in a historical cohort study of 2,459 glucose-tolerant Danish women. In adjusted analyses, the risk of hypertensive complications, cesarean section, induction of labor and macrosomia was significantly increased (p < 0.001) in overweight (BMI, 25.0-29.9 kg/m) and obese women (BMI, 30 kg/m or more) compared with normal-weight women (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m).

"Pregnancy complications related to maternal BMI is a growing problem," the investigators write. "Traditionally, intensified obstetric surveillance has been restricted to obese women with glucose intolerance, but it is evident from the current study that obese women with a normal glucose tolerance also represent a high risk group," they add.

Source: Diabetes In Control Dot Com: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2003;189:239-244.

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