Obesity and fetal-maternal outcomes.

In women Obesity has a significant impact on every aspect of female reproductive life both in terms of infertility and early pregnancy complications. It is linked to a number of adverse obstetric outcomes as well as increased maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. These complications include miscarriage, congenital abnormalities, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, iatrogenic preterm delivery, post-dates pregangy with increased rates of induction of labour, caesarian section and complications during and following operative procedures, post-partum haemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, infection, venous thromboembolism and increased hospital day. It is important to consider obese pregnant women as a high risk group with a linear increase in risk of complications associated with their degree of obesity.