According to one researcher and his colleagues at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, obesity during gestation may increase the risk of perinatal mortality.
The study’s findings were released in PLOS One.
“The study included all singleton births at ≥20 weeks’ gestation in British Columbia, 2004–2017, and excluded pregnancy terminations,” the authors explained.
“The proportion of the association between BMI and perinatal death mediated by gestational age at delivery (in weeks) was estimated using natural effect models, with adjustment for potential confounders. Sensitivity analyses for unmeasured confounding and women missing BMI were conducted.”
The study involved more than 300,000 women and led to the determination that obese pregnancies may increase the risk of perinatal mortality.
“Obese pregnancies have a higher risk of perinatal death in part mediated by a lower gestational age at delivery.”
