A recent international collaborative study led by the University of Bristol underscores the significance of maintaining a healthy weight in women of childbearing age to mitigate the risk of various pregnancy complications. The findings, published in BMC Medicine, emphasize the need to address the impact of maternal weight on pregnancy and perinatal health for shaping future policies and promoting healthier lives for women of childbearing age.
In recent decades, there has been a global rise in obesity, with women of childbearing age being no exception. Previous research has indicated associations between a mother’s weight and pregnancy complications. However, distinguishing whether these associations are causal or influenced by other factors such as education or lifestyle has posed challenges. The new research aims to address these confounding issues and establish clearer causal links between increased maternal weight and pregnancy complications.
Dr. Carolina Borges, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Bristol and one of the study’s corresponding authors, highlighted the importance of understanding the impact of a mother’s pre-pregnancy weight on pregnancy and perinatal health. Dr. Janine Felix, Associate Professor and Epidemiologist in the Department of Paediatrics at Erasmus MC, emphasized the frequency of overweight occurrences in women of childbearing age and the potential for maintaining a healthy weight to improve health outcomes for mothers and children.
The study utilized mothers’ body mass index (BMI), a common measure of healthy weight adjusted for height, to explore the effects of higher maternal weight on a range of pregnancy-related complications. To enhance the evidence, the researchers employed three different methodologies, combining data from over 400,000 mothers from 14 studies in Europe and North America. The methodologies included traditional analyses, a comparison of results with fathers’ BMI to assess potential confounding, and genetic analyses using Mendelian randomization, which is less susceptible to confounding.
The results indicated that higher maternal BMI was linked to 14 out of 20 studied pregnancy complications. These complications included an increased risk of high blood pressure in pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, pregnancy diabetes, and delivery-related complications such as cesarean sections or induced labor. Notably, a one kg/m2 increase in maternal BMI correlated with a 10% higher risk of pre-eclampsia.
The study highlights the multifaceted impact of maintaining a healthy weight in childbearing women, offering insights that can inform public health strategies and interventions aimed at improving maternal and child health outcomes.
