Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: This study characterizes the clinical profile of women delivering large babies and evaluates the influence of maternal body weight on pregnancy outcomes.

Objective: To analyze maternal factors affecting fetal macrosomia, focusing on maternal weight and associated complications.

Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 100 medical records from women who delivered babies weighing ≥4,000 g at the Maternity Hospital of the Universidad de los Andes in Mérida, Venezuela, in 2022 was conducted. Participants were divided into two groups: Group 1 (63 women with BMI <25 kg/m²) and Group 2 (37 women with BMI ≥25 kg/m²). Comparative analyses included age, pre-pregnancy and pre-delivery anthropometry, pelvimetry, presence of concomitant diseases, fetal measurements, newborn weight, and delivery complications. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Office Excel 2020 and Statistica 10 (StatSoft, Inc.).

Results: The groups were homogeneous in age, gestational age at delivery, total weight gain, fetal measurements, and newborn weight: 4,200 g versus 3,850 g (P > 0.05). GDM occurred nearly twice as often in Group 2 (32%) compared to Group 1 (18%). The incidence of delivery complications was 1.5 times higher in patients with BMI ≥25 kg/m² (59%) than in those with BMI <25 kg/m² (28%) (P < 0.05). A strong correlation existed between maternal weight before and after pregnancy. In Group 2, a significant correlation was observed between pre-pregnancy BMI and BMI before delivery (r > 0.79; P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Higher risks of complicated delivery and GDM were identified in the higher BMI group, despite initial homogeneity. Other predictors of macrosomia were not found, necessitating further research. Comprehensive preconception preparation for overweight and obese patients may improve fetal metabolic programming.

Keywords: obesity, pregnancy, macrosomia, gestational diabetes mellitus.