Study of the effect of maternal body mass index (BMI) on perinatal outcome

Introduction: India is facing a double burden of under nutrition and underweight on one side, and a rapid rise in obesity and overweight, particularly in the urban settings on the other side. The aim of the present study was to examine the association of the maternal Body Mass Index (BMI) and the obstetric and the perinatal out comes in singleton pregnancies. Materials and methods: A total number of 100 cases were taken. All the cases were primigravida with singleton pregnancy and were booked. Patients with preterm delivery or any medical disorder like cardiac disease, hypertension, chronic renal diseases and endocrinal dysfunctions, pre eclampsia, eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus were excluded from the study. Patients with their BMI calculated in first trimester delivering in Dhiraj General Hospital were taken. Mode of delivery, birth weight of babies, APGAR score were noted. Results: In present study, we found that maternal BMI showed association with the birth weight of their babies. We found direct linear correlation between maternal BMI and perinatal outcome. We found no association between maternal BMI with mode of delivery and APGAR score Conclusion: It can be concluded from our study that mother’s with low BMI tend to give birth to babies with lower birth weight and mothers with higher BMI, in absence of complications, tend to give birth to babies of higher birth weight.