Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2014:2014:640291.
doi: 10.1155/2014/640291. Epub 2014 Dec 7.

Maternal obesity and occurrence of fetal macrosomia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Laura Gaudet  1 , Zachary M Ferraro  2 , Shi Wu Wen  3 , Mark Walker  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Maternal obesity and occurrence of fetal macrosomia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Laura Gaudet et al. Biomed Res Int. 2014.

Abstract

Objective: To determine a precise estimate for the contribution of maternal obesity to macrosomia.

Data sources: The search strategy included database searches in 2011 of PubMed, Medline (In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid Medline, 1950-2011), and EMBASE Classic + EMBASE. Appropriate search terms were used for each database. Reference lists of retrieved articles and review articles were cross-referenced.

Methods of study selection: All studies that examined the relationship between maternal obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m(2)) (pregravid or at 1st prenatal visit) and fetal macrosomia (birth weight ≥4000 g, ≥4500 g, or ≥90th percentile) were considered for inclusion.

Tabulation, integration, and results: Data regarding the outcomes of interest and study quality were independently extracted by two reviewers. Results from the meta-analysis showed that maternal obesity is associated with fetal overgrowth, defined as birth weight ≥ 4000 g (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.92, 2.45), birth weight ≥4500 g (OR 2.77,95% CI 2.22, 3.45), and birth weight ≥90% ile for gestational age (OR 2.42, 95% CI 2.16, 2.72).

Conclusion: Maternal obesity appears to play a significant role in the development of fetal overgrowth. There is a critical need for effective personal and public health initiatives designed to decrease prepregnancy weight and optimize gestational weight gain.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study flow diagram.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot for large for gestational age (>90% ile).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot for macrosomia (birth weight ≥4000 g).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plot for macrosomia (birth weight ≥4500 g).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bérard J., Dufour P., Vinatier D., Subtil D., Vanderstichèle S., Monnier J. C., Puech F. Fetal macrosomia: risk factors and outcome. A study of the outcome concerning 100 cases >4500 g. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 1998;77(1):51–59. doi: 10.1016/S0301-2115(97)00242-X. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gregory K. D., Henry O. A., Ramicone E., Chan L. S., Platt L. D. Maternal and infant complications in high and normal weight infants by method of delivery. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1998;92(4 I):507–513. doi: 10.1016/S0029-7844(98)00224-5. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chauhan S. P., Grobman W. A., Gherman R. A., et al. Suspicion and treatment of the macrosomic fetus: a review. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2005;193(2):332–346. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2004.12.020. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Surkan P. J., Hsieh C.-C., Johansson A. L. V., Dickman P. W., Cnattingius S. Reasons for increasing trends in large for gestational age births. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2004;104(4):720–726. doi: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000141442.59573.cd. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Khashu M., Pelligra G., Bhargava S., Smyth J. A. Perinatal Morbidity in Macrosomic Infants. Pediatric Academy of Sciences; 2005.