A large proportion of this association was mediated by hypertensive disorders<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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FRIDAY, July 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Maternal prepregnancy obesity is associated with an elevated risk for severe maternal morbidity and\/or mortality, according to a study published online June 28 in JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Heather A. Frey, M.D., from The Ohio State University in Columbus, and colleagues examined the association between prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and severe maternal morbidity and\/or mortality through one year postpartum. The analysis included data from vital records and linked Medicaid claims data from Ohio from 2012 through 2017 (347,497 pregnancies among 276,691 Medicaid beneficiaries).<\/p>\n The researchers found that compared with healthy BMI, overweight (adjusted relative risk, 1.07) and obesity (adjusted relative risks, 1.19, 1.37 , and 1.71 for class 1, 2, and 3, respectively) were associated with an elevated risk for severe maternal morbidity and\/or mortality during pregnancy to one year postpartum. When follow-up was limited to 42 days postpartum or the delivery hospitalization, similar findings were seen. About 65 percent of the association between obesity and the primary outcome was mediated by hypertension.<\/p>\n “Findings of this study suggest that prevention and management of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy may reduce morbidity and mortality in individuals with obesity,” the authors write.<\/p>\n One author disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.<\/p>\n