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Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and the risk of macrosomia: a meta-analysis

  • General Gynecology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of our meta-analysis was to explore whether pre-pregnancy obesity is regarded as an important risk factor for predicting macrosomia or not.

Methods

Three databases were systematically reviewed and reference lists of relevant articles were checked. Meta-analysis of published cohort studies comparing whether pre-pregnancy obesity was associated with macrosomia and adjusting for potential confounding factors. Calculations of pooled estimates were conducted in random-effect model. Heterogeneity was tested by using Chi-square test and I 2 statistics. Publication bias was estimated from Egger’s test (linear regression method) and Begg’s test (rank correlation method).

Results

Sixteen cohort studies met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis showed that pre-pregnancy obesity was associated with macrosomia as an important risk factor. The adjusted odds ratio was 1.93, 95% CI (1.65, 2.27) in random-effect model, stratified analyses showed no differences regarding different quality grade, definition of macrosomia, location of study and number of confounding factors adjusted for. There was no indication of a publication bias either from the result of Egger’s test or Begg’s test.

Conclusion

Our findings indicated that pre-pregnancy obesity should be considered as an important risk factor for macrosomia. The effect of pre-pregnancy obesity on macrosomia need to be carefully assessed and monitored.

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Acknowledgements

Xiujie He, Rui-xue Dai: literature review, meta-analysis, and principal authorship of the article; data extraction; the final draft of the manuscript; conception of the research question; and Chuanlai Hu: contribution to the first and final drafts of the manuscript.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Fuyang Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 99 Huangshan Road, Yingzhou district, Fuyang, 236000, Anhui, China

      Xiu-Jie He & Chuan-Lai Hu

    2. Disease Control Center of Fuyang, 19 Zhongnan Road, Yingzhou district, Fuyang, 236000, Anhui, China

      Rui-xue Dai

    3. The Division of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Mei Shan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China

      Chuan-Lai Hu

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    1. Rui-xue Dai
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    Correspondence to Xiu-Jie He.

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    Dai, Rx., He, XJ. & Hu, CL. Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and the risk of macrosomia: a meta-analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet 297, 139–145 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-017-4573-8

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-017-4573-8

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