Obesity is a prevalent problem in today’s society. I personally have struggled with my weight for years and it’s a continuing battle. Obviously as a nurse, I’m all too familiar with the adverse affects of weight on general health but the adverse affects obesity has on fertility was really eye-opening.
After seeing Dr. Barbara Luke of Michigan State University present her study on the Adverse Affects of Maternal Obesity on Pregnancy Rates and Obstetrical Outcomes at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) conference recently, the news really hit home.
The study included over 48,000 patients who underwent Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). The study concluded that among obese women, the chance of pregnancy and live birth decreased significantly with increasing Body Mass Index (BMI)- the measure used to define weight.
Women were placed into different categories based on their BMI – normal weight, overweight or obese. The obese category had three subset groups or classes. (breakdown below) They then compared outcomes to women in the normal weight category.
• Normal Weight – BMI 18.5-24.9
• Overweight – BMI 25.0-29.9
• Obese:
o Class I – BMI 30.0-34.9
o Class II – BMI 35.0-39.9
o Class III – BMI ≥ 40.0
The study concluded that most obese women had a 35% less chance of becoming pregnant and a 59% increased chance of a premature delivery. Increasing maternal obesity particularly for classes I, II, and III is associated with lower odds of live birth, greater odds of stillbirth and preterm birth outcomes.
If you are interested in finding out your own BMI, ASRM has a great fact sheet to check out. This is just another reminder (for all of us!) about the importance of maintaining a healthy weight.
