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Obesity in Pregnancy and Ultrasound

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Maternal Obesity and Pregnancy

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Abstract

Obese pregnant women are at high risk for various obstetrical problems, for both mother and child. Ultrasound is an essential tool to detect and manage these problems. However, ultrasound examination in obese women and reliable evaluation of the presence of congenital anomalies or markers of genetic disorders and accurate determination of fetal weight are a real challenge. As maternal BMI increases, the rate of completion of anatomic surveys decreases, and the number of scans required increases. Counseling may need to be modified to reflect the limitations of sonography for fetal structural anomalies in obese women.

In the following chapter, literature will be reviewed addressing obesity-related issues and limitations of obstetrical ultrasound and followed by practical recommendations on how to face these specific conditions with regard to technical, legal, and health-care issues.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Berlin Center for Diabetes & Pregnancy, Dep. Obstetrics and Gynecoloy, St. Joseph Hospital, Berlin, Germany

    Ute M. Schaefer-Graf M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. Ute M. Schaefer-Graf M.D., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Ute M. Schaefer-Graf M.D., Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Brendstrupgaardsvej 1, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark

    Per Glud Ovesen

  2. , Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Kløvervænget 6, Odense C, 5000, Denmark

    Dorte Møller Jensen

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Schaefer-Graf, U.M. (2012). Obesity in Pregnancy and Ultrasound. In: Ovesen, P., Møller Jensen, D. (eds) Maternal Obesity and Pregnancy. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25023-1_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25023-1_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-25022-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-25023-1

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