Hostile Turf: Higher Maternal Body Mass Index and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Admission Risk

Background: Body mass index (BMI) helps in the evaluation of obesity in pregnancy. Objective: The objective of the present study was to determine association between maternal BMI and neonates requiring the neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission. Materials and Methods: All obstetric patients who were admitted for obstetric intervention in the third trimester between April 1, 2014, and September 30, 2015, were studied. Patients with singleton pregnancy gestational age more than 35 weeks were included in the study and multifetal gestation a known case of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic hypertension were excluded from the study. Patients were divided into four groups on the basis of BMI; in all these groups, maternal and fetal outcome was studied. Results: According to BMI, 22.4% of patients were obese and 35.3% of patients were of normal BMI. Gestational DM, pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), and preeclampsia remained statistically significant high in obese and overweight group as compared to women with normal BMI. There was no significant association between antepartum hemorrhage, intrauterine growth restriction, malpresentation, and preterm between obese and nonobese groups. NICU admission rate was significantly associated with maternal obesity. For BMI and NICU admissions, relative risk (RR) in underweight versus healthy was 6.00 (P = 0.011, confidence interval 1 [CI1]:. 29-27.76). In comparing women with BMI < 30 to women with BMI >= 30, newborns of obese women were 5.9% more likely to need NICU admission (RR: 1.336, P = 0.04, CI: 1.021-1.749). Conclusion: This study showed an increased risk of wide variety of pregnancy and perinatal complications and higher neonatal admissions in overweight and obese women.