Assess Maternal Outcomes During Labor and the Immediate Postpartum Period in Overweight Mothers

Background: Maternal obesity in pregnancy is generally recognized as one of the most common risk factors for unfavorable maternal and neonatal outcomes. Obesity has become a prominent issue in obstetrics practice. Objective: To evaluate the maternal outcomes during labor and the immediate postpartum period in overweight mothers. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional analytical study was conducted on the admitted patients with full term singleton pregnancy in labour in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital from July 2020 to January 2021. A total of 150 pregnant women with full term singleton pregnancy in labour were selected fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Informed written consent was taken from each respondent. All data relevant to variables of the study was collected in a data collection sheet. Results: Caesarean section rates were considerably higher in overweight/obese patients compared to the normal weight group (p=0.002). The overweight/obese group had atonic PPH (p=0.04). Macrosomia neonate was substantially higher in the overweight/obese mother group than in the normal weight group (OR=10.09, p=0.009). Overweight/obese individuals had significantly increased rates of low APGAR scores (<7 at 1 minute) (p=0.041). The overweight/obese group had slightly increased rates of intrauterine mortality, stillbirth, and low APGAR score (<7 at 5 minutes), although the differences were not statistically significant (p=0.315, p=0.311, and p=0.190). Macrosomia necessitated neonatal critical care, and moms who were overweight or obese had a 4.03 times higher risk (OR=4.43, p=0.026). The obese neonates had a substantially higher mean birth weight (3.22±0.54 kg) compared to the control group (2.95±0.46 kg). Conclusion: Postpartum pregnancy problems such as atonic PPH have been described in overweight or obese pregnant mothers. Increased birth weight, stillbirth, macrosomia, and NICU hospitalizations were also identified in the overweight/obese population.