Pregnancy complications and outcomes among overweight and obese nulliparous women

Objectives. This study examined the associations between prepregnancy weight and the risk of pregnancy complications and adverse outcomes among nulliparous women. Methods. We conducted a population-based cohort study with 96801 Washington State birth certificates from 1992 to 1996. Women were categorized by body mass index. Multivariate logistic regression was performed. Results. The rate of occurrence of most of the outcomes increased with increasing body mass index category. Compared with lean women, both overweight and obese women had a significantly increased risk for gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, eclampsia, cesarean delivery, and delivery of a macrosomic infant. Conclusions. Among nulliparous women, not only prepregnancy obesity but also overweight increases the risk of pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes.