Women who are extremelly obese may not need to gain as much weight during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy as current guidelnes recommend, according to research presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, held from Feb. 7 to 12 in San Francisco.
MONDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are extremely obese may not need to gain as much weight during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy as current guidelines recommend, according to research presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, held from Feb. 7 to 12 in San Francisco.
Eva Pressman, M.D., of the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues evaluated 73,977 women who gave birth to a single child between January 2004 and December 2008. The investigators also assessed two oxytocin protocols (lower dose every 45 minutes and higher dose every 30 minutes) in nearly 500 women based on body mass index (BMI).
The investigators found that gaining less weight than recommended in the second and third trimesters was associated with increased likelihood of having a baby that was small for gestational age in all BMI groups except for obese class II and III. In addition, gaining more weight than recommended in the second and third trimesters was tied to an increased likelihood of having a baby that was large for gestational age in all BMI groups. The likelihood of cesarean delivery, induction of labor, and gestational diabetes increased for all BMI groups above normal weight. Compared to overweight and obese women administered a lower, less frequent dose of oxytocin, overweight and obese women administered a higher, more frequent dose were more likely to deliver vaginally.
"If you give more oxytocin to overweight and obese patients they may be more likely to delivery vaginally, which is what we want, as opposed to having a cesarean section, which can introduce more complications," Pressman said in a statement. "The study is important because the effect of BMI on induction has not been well described before."
Related Content
From the SMFM meeting
S1E4: Dr. Kristina Adams-Waldorf: Pandemics, pathogens and perseverance
July 16th 2020This episode of Pap Talk by Contemporary OB/GYN features an interview with Dr. Kristina Adams-Waldorf, Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Adjunct Professor in Global Health at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine in Seattle.
Listen
Unveiling the complexities of preterm birth risk from nativity, ethnicity, and race
March 22nd 2024A recent study dissected the relationships between maternal nativity, ethnicity, and race in influencing preterm birth rates, shedding light on disparities and suggesting avenues for future research.
Read More
Study reveals link between opioid dosage and spontaneous preterm birth risk
February 21st 2024Recent research highlighted an association between the total dose of prescribed opioids during pregnancy and the heightened risk of spontaneous preterm birth, emphasizing the need for judicious opioid use in pain management for expectant mothers.
Read More