Maternal Morbid Obesity and the Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcome

To evaluate whether morbidly obese women have an increased risk of pregnancy complications and adverse perinatal outcomes.

In a prospective population-based cohort study, 3,480 women with morbid obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) more than 40, and 12,698 women with a BMI between 35.1 and 40 were compared with normal-weight women (BMI 19.8-26). The perinatal outcome of singletons born to women without insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was evaluated after suitable adjustments.