Neonatal morbidities among full-term infants born to obese mothers

Introduction: Impact of maternal obesity on full-term neonates is not known. Objective: We hypothesized increased incidence of neonatal morbidities requiring NICU admission in full-term neonates of obese women compared to neonates of normal-weight women. Methods: Data from full-term pregnancies collected in the Consortium of Safe Labor study were analyzed. Maternal BMI was classified using the WHO criteria. Incidence of neonatal outcomes including sepsis, PDA, NEC, respiratory distress, or their combination were compared between newborns of obese and normal-weight women. Results: Of the 109 488 women included in the study, 17.7% were obese. Maternal co-morbidities (diabetes, gestational diabetes, hypertension, and preeclampsia) increased with increasing maternal BMI. Both maternal obesity and its related co-morbidities were associated with higher incidence of neonatal morbidities. After adjusting for maternal comorbidities, there was a higher incidence of sepsis (AOR 1.91(1.45-2.50)), and combination of any of the neonatal outcomes (AOR 1.66(1.32-2.09)) among newborns of obese women than those of normal-weight women, along with an increased trend for incidence of PDA (Cochran-Armitage Test (CA) = 23.1, p < 0.0001) and NEC (CA = 7.2, p = 0.007). Conclusion: Maternal obesity is independently associated with increased incidence of neonatal sepsis and a combination of neonatal morbidities in full-term newborns with an increased trend for PDA and NEC.