Maternal obesity and pregnancy

We face a worldwide health crisis secondary to an increase in the population average for body mass index (BMI). This chapter presents a critical review of the published literature addressing the increasing prevalence of raised BMI in women of reproductive age. Raised maternal BMI presents significant risk for mother and child and has consistently been associated with adverse maternal and fetal/neonatal outcomes. The pathogeneses of BMI-related adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes are multiple ranging from insulin resistance, to inflammation, to nutritional deficiency. Consensus statements now describe the current best-practice obstetric management of obesity during pregnancy. However, there is no clear guidance on the appropriate timing or BMI targets for weight management of this cohort.