Obesity increases the risk of stillbirth, particularly during the later stages of pregnancy
According to a large study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), Obesity is a risk factor for stillbirth, and the risk increases as pregnancy advances to later stages.
The global overall risk of stillbirth in pregnancy is approximately 2.6%. Although the link between obesity and stillbirth is well-known, little research was done on the association between obesity and stillbirth risk by gestational age, or on the impact of higher classes of obesity.
For the study, researchers examined data from the Better Outcomes Registry and Network on 681,178 singleton births from 2012 to 2018, including 1,956 stillbirths and accounted for other risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure when analyzing the data.
The findings revealed that people with class I obesity (BMI 30–34.9 kg/m2) had double the risk of stillbirth at 39 weeks gestation compared to those with normal BMI (18.5–24.9 kg/m2). For those in obesity classes II and III (BMI 35–39.9 kg/m2 and BMI 40 kg/m2 and higher, respectively), stillbirth risk at 36 weeks was 2 to 2.5 times that of people with normal BMI. This risk further increased with gestational age, with a more than fourfold risk at 40 weeks.
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