Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and the Risk of Stillbirth, Preterm Birth, and Low Birth Weight

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doi:2012.16.1.67

J Korean Soc Matern Child Health > Volume 16(1); 2012 > Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Maternal and Child Health 2012;16(1):67-79.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21896/jksmch.2012.16.1.67 Published online January 31, 2012.

Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and the Risk of Stillbirth, Preterm Birth, and Low Birth Weight

전병화¹, 오희철², 한영자³, 이상욱¹

¹관동대학교
²연세대학교
³한국보건사회연구원

임신 전 체질량지수와 사산, 조산 및 저출생제중아 출산 위험

전병화¹, 오희철², 한영자³, 이상욱¹

¹관동대학교
²연세대학교
³한국보건사회연구원

Abstract

Objective
To explore whether women with overweight or underweight before pregnancy would be at higher risk of adverse birth outcomes.
Methods
A retrospective study was conducted on 41,975 mothers who received health examination in 1997, and delivered a singleton live baby in 1999 or a singleton stillbirth from 1999 to 2000. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for stillbirth, preterm birth, and low birth weight (LBW) according to pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) by 3 or 7 groups, were adjusted for maternal age at delivery, socio-economic status, diabetes and parity using logistic regression model.
Results
The adjusted ORs for preterm birth and LBW were 1.39 (95% CI 1.09~1.79), and 1.38 (95% CI 1.05~1.81) in overweight (BMI≥25) women compared to normal weight women (BMI 18.5~24.9), and 2.37 (95% CI 1.60~3.52) and 1.56 (95% CI 0.94~2.59) in obese (BMI≥27.5) women compared to women with middle normal weight (BMI 21~ 22.9), respectively. Obese women had a increased risk on very LBW (OR 6.2, 95% CI 1.99~19.3) compared to middle normal weight women. Moderately to severely thin women (BMI<17) also had a increased risk on LBW (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.21~2.24) and moderately LBW (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.26~2.35) compared to middle normal weight women.
Conclusion
Overweight, especially obese women were at higher risk on preterm birth including moderately preterm birth, and very LBW. Moderately thin women also had a increased risk on LBW including moderately LBW. It may be beneficial for women with overweight and moderate to severe thinness to have desirable birth outcomes by weight control such as physical activity and diet control.

Key Words: high-risk pregnancy, stillbirth, body mass index, preterm birth, low birth weight