Objective: To evaluate the association of the body mass index (BMI) at delivery on perinatal outcomes in Korean pregnant women. Methods: The study subjects were 2,485 pregnant women that visited the obstetrics clinic at Ewha Womans University Hospital...
Objective: To evaluate the association of the body mass index (BMI) at delivery on perinatal outcomes in Korean pregnant women. Methods: The study subjects were 2,485 pregnant women that visited the obstetrics clinic at Ewha Womans University Hospital for antenatal care and delivered single newborns between 25 and 42 weeks of gestation during 2005, 2006, and 2007. We used a logistic regression analysis to determine the risk of preterm delivery according to the maternal BMI at delivery. The adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using multiple logistic regression models, controlling for maternal age, parity, and the gender of the neonates. Women were categorized as lean (BMI<19.8), normal (19.8≤BMI<25.9), overweight (26.0<BMI<28.9), or obese (BMI≥29.0) using the BMI cutoff points. Results: The lean BMI at delivery group showed a significant correlation with preterm birth (P<0.0001), spontaneous preterm birth (P=0.005), premature rupture of membrane (P<0.0001), and low birth weight (P<0.0001). Conclusion: Our results indicate that women that were underweight at delivery had significantly higher risk for preterm birth.