Khilud Salim Al-Salami; Zaineb T Alyasin; Ragad Nasir HussainSAINN
Abstract
Nutritional status of the women has been considered as an important prognostic indicator of
pregnancy outcome and risk of preterm birth. Few studies have evaluated the patterns of body
mass index in developing regions where malnutrition and poor weight gain as well as maternal
obesity have significant ...
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Nutritional status of the women has been considered as an important prognostic indicator of
pregnancy outcome and risk of preterm birth. Few studies have evaluated the patterns of body
mass index in developing regions where malnutrition and poor weight gain as well as maternal
obesity have significant influences on the pregnancy outcome. This study aims to show the
effect of pregnancy body mass index on the incidence of preterm labour.
This is a prospective descriptive study of 200 women attended Basrah Maternity and Child
Hospital who were diagnosed with preterm labour were recruited in the study. Patients were
classified into categories that were based on their body mass index (BMI) according to the
national institute of health guidelines. Rate of spontaneous preterm birth were determined.
Women with body mass index /35kg/m2 had 2%of spontaneous preterm labour.
Risk of spontaneous preterm labour tend to progressively decrease with increasing body mass
index.
Thinner women who have preterm delivery tend to deliver at earlier gestational age than women
who were obese 42.3% of non obese women deliver before 30 weeks of gestation compared to
25% of the obese, 44% of non obese deliver at gestational age 30-40 weeks compared to 28.25
of the obese.
In conclusion, high body mass index is associated with a lower rate of spontaneous preterm
birth.