Having a high BMI or being severely obese before and during early pregnancy increases the risk of fetal death, stillbirth, and infant death, according to the findings of a new study.
Previous studies have associated higher maternal BMI to various pregnancy complications including fetal death, stillbirth, perinatal death, neonatal death and infant death. However, none of them have been able to establish the optimal pre-pregnancy BMI to prevent fetal and infant death.
To gain a better understanding of this association, researchers from Imperial College London conducted a meta-analysis of 39 previous studies on this topic. These studies included data of more than 10,147 fetal deaths, more than 16,274 stillbirths, over 4,311 perinatal deaths, 11,294 neonatal deaths, and 4,983 infant deaths.
While the authors of the study were not able to establish the optimal pre-pregnancy BMI to prevent fetal and infant death, they did find that even the slightest increase before and during early pregnancy can up the risk of still birth and infant death by up to three times.
"Weight management guidelines for women who plan pregnancies should take these findings into consideration to reduce the burden of fetal deaths, stillbirths, and infant deaths," Dagfinn Aune of Imperial College London said in a press release.
This risk was increased 3 folds in women that were severely obese, having a BMI higher than 40. Researchers said that one explanation for this association could be because obesity increases the risk of developing diseases and disorders that are associated with higher risk of fetal and infant death. These include preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational hypertension, and congenital anomalies.
"A higher risk of birth defects is seen in women who are obese, and some of these defects may not be compatible with life, or may result in an infant that is compromised," Aune said to CNN. "Obese women have a much higher incidence of diabetes and of hypertension, and such medical problems may lead to early delivery that results in the loss of an infant."
A recent study conducted by Kaiser Permanente researchers found that women who gain too much or too little weight during pregnancy may predispose their children to future obesity.
The current study was published in the April issue of JAMA.
