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Maternal super-obesity

  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Pregnant women with a body-mass-index (BMI) above 50 are referred to as “super-obese”. For these women adverse pregnancy outcome and a higher risk of fetal congenital defects are major issues. This report focuses on the ratio development of super-obesity in pregnant women, as well as on prenatal ultrasound and pregnancy outcome in the super-obese gravida.

Methods

We reviewed data of all women with a BMI above 30 who delivered at our unit in a 15-year period between January 2000 and December 2014. Data of obese but not super-obese mothers were evaluated in comparison.

Results

Final evaluation comprised 69/20,711 pregnancies of super-obese mothers. Forty out of 69 women suffered from a preexisting condition requiring medical treatment. Fetal ultrasound evaluation revealed severe congenital defects in four cases. There were no missed and no false positive diagnoses. Elective cesarean section (c-section) took place in 26/69 cases, 21/69 had a secondary c-section. Twenty-two out of 69 women delivered vaginally. Mean gestational age at delivery was 38+6 gestational weeks. Pregnancy was complicated by macrosomia in 17/69 pregnancies. Severe neonatal hypoglycemia occurred in 6/69 cases. The number of deliveries by super-obese mothers showed no marked variation during the study period. In contrast the rate of deliveries by obese, but not super-obese, mothers showed an increase.

Conclusions

Maternal super-obesity poses a high-risk situation for mother and child which generally demands a higher amount of perinatal care. The number of deliveries by super-obese mothers remained stable over the study period. Primary c-section was the most frequent mode of delivery. Of the parturients who opted for vaginal delivery nearly half of the deliveries had to be completed by secondary c-section. Over-all peripartal maternal complications did not exceed average.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Prenatal Medicine, University Hospital of Schleswig–Holstein, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Luebeck, Germany

    David Hartge, Juliane Spiegler, Andreas Schroeer, Verena Deckwart & Jan Weichert

Authors
  1. David Hartge
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  2. Juliane Spiegler
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  3. Andreas Schroeer
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  4. Verena Deckwart
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  5. Jan Weichert
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Correspondence to David Hartge.

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Hartge, D., Spiegler, J., Schroeer, A. et al. Maternal super-obesity. Arch Gynecol Obstet 293, 987–992 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-015-3921-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-015-3921-9

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