Abstract:
Background: The current global impact of overweight and obesity on maternal and fetal outcomes during pregnancy and delivery is rising. This study aimed at investigating whether maternal obesity adversely affects outcomes of mothers and fetuses after induction of labor in Rwanda.
Methods: The study was a prospective cohort study in nature. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 25. Chi-square test for trends and logistic regression were used to study the differences in management and outcomes among the BMI groups. ANOVA and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to study the continuous data among the BMI groups.
Results: Obese women were 2.1 times to deliver by cesarean section compared to overweight women combined with women with normal BMI (OR=2.13; 95% CI: 1.37-3.29; p=0.001) while overweight and obese women were 3.1 times more likely to deliver by cesarean section as those with normal BMI (OR=3.11; 95%CI: 1.61-5.99; p=0.001). There was no significant difference in birth weights (p=0.260), Apgar scores at 0 minute (p=0.451), Apgar score at 5th minute (p=0.408) and at 10th minutes (p=0.342). Babies born from obese mothers were 2.14 times more likely to be admitted in NICU as those born from overweight and normal BMI women combined (OR=2.14; 95% CI: 1.24-3.69; p=0.006).
Conclusion: Obese and overweight mothers showed to deliver by cesarean section more likely as mothers with normal weight when induced and require more quantity of misoprostol and oxytocin during IOL and babies who were born from obese mothers are more likely admitted in neonatology.
