Study recommends postponement of pregnancy for 12 months after bariatric surgery

Weight loss after bariatric surgery improves fertility but the procedures might be associated with adverse outcomes like the risk of preterm birth, micro-nutrient deficiency, small for gestational age (SGA) offspring, possibly due to maternal malnutrition. However, high-quality evidence is lacking, and only a few studies included data on gestational weight gain and there is no international consensus concerning the ideal time to conception after bariatric surgery.

A multicenter retrospective analysis of 196 singleton pregnancies followed by bariatric surgery was conducted. Pregnancies were divided into an early group(≤12 months), the middle group(12-24 months), and the late group(>24 months) according to the surgery-to-conception interval. Gestational weight gain was classified as inadequate, adequate, or excessive according to the National Academy of Medicine recommendations.

Key findings of study are:

• 23.5% of women who participated in this study conceived within 12 months after bariatric surgery(early group).
• The researchers had found that pregnancy in the early group was associated with lower gestational age at delivery, lower gestational Weight gain, lower neonatal birth weight than the middle and late group.
• They also found that Inadequate gestational weight gain was associated with lower gestational age at delivery & lower neonatal birth weight compared to adequate weight gain.
• Preterm births were also more frequently observed in the early group.
• The study result supports "recommendation to postpone pregnancy for 12 months after bariatric surgery" and Specific attention should be given to achieve adequate gestational weight gain.
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  For further information: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-020-05219-3