Increasing maternal body mass index during pregnancy increases neonatal intensive care unit admission in near and full-term infants

• Published in: The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine 2016-10, Vol.29 (20), p.3249-3253
• Main Authors: Suk, Debbie, Kwak, Taehee, Khawar, Nayaab, Vanhorn, Samantha, Salafia, Carolyn M., Gudavalli, Madhu B., Narula, Pramod
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Body Mass Index; Female; Humans; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; Neonatal hypoglycemia; NICU; Obesity; Patient Admission - statistics & numerical data; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Retrospective Studies; Term Birth; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1476-7058; 1476-4954
• DOI: 10.3109/14767058.2015.1124082

Background: Obesity is becoming an increasingly commonplace health problem. Obesity during pregnancy is important because the condition adversely affects not only the mother, but also the developing fetus and the newborn. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the association between maternal body mass index (mBMI) at the time of delivery and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission of offspring and to analyze the role of possible confounding variables that are often associated with obesity. Comorbidities, such as gestational diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT) and/or pre-eclampsia (PEC), are more common in more obese mothers, as is a higher association of obesity among non-Caucasian patients. Methods: Using a retrospective cohort design, 1736 mothers and their singleton live-born at  ≥35 weeks' gestation were analyzed for mBMI, maternal conditions of DM, HT and/or PEC, and whether NICU care was required and the reason for NICU admission. Results: NICU admission rate was significantly associated with maternal obesity. In comparing women with mBMI