Foetal and maternal complications associated with being overweight

This is a prospective epidemiological study of 1,928 patients, conducted over a three-month period at the AOUARI Zahra Specialised Gynaecological and Obstetric Hospital in the city of Tiaret (Algeria), with the aim of assessing the impact of maternal overweight on the course of pregnancy. Our study revealed an increased incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension (24.80 per cent) and gestational diabetes (6.05 per cent) amongst overweight women, a reduced risk of preterm birth (0.69 per cent) and an increased incidence of post-term pregnancies (4.96 per cent). It was found that the higher a woman's BMI, the greater the risk of caesarean section. The incidence of post-delivery haemorrhage is high (26.59 per cent) in the overweight and obese population compared with women of normal weight (3.04 per cent). With regard to neonatal outcomes, average birth weight and the incidence of macrosomia increase in line with BMI. In the postnatal period, there is a risk of high blood pressure in overweight women (10.52 per cent).