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
Review
. 2014 Jul 17;3(3):795-808.
doi: 10.3390/jcm3030795.

Limitations of Aneuploidy and Anomaly Detection in the Obese Patient

Paula Zozzaro-Smith  1 , Lisa M Gray  2 , Stephen J Bacak  3 , Loralei L Thornburg  4
Affiliations
Review

Limitations of Aneuploidy and Anomaly Detection in the Obese Patient

Paula Zozzaro-Smith et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic and can have a profound effect on pregnancy risks. Obese patients tend to be older and are at increased risk for structural fetal anomalies and aneuploidy, making screening options critically important for these women. Failure rates for first-trimester nuchal translucency (NT) screening increase with obesity, while the ability to detect soft-markers declines, limiting ultrasound-based screening options. Obesity also decreases the chances of completing the anatomy survey and increases the residual risk of undetected anomalies. Additionally, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is less likely to provide an informative result in obese patients. Understanding the limitations and diagnostic accuracy of aneuploidy and anomaly screening in obese patients can help guide clinicians in counseling patients on the screening options.

Keywords: anatomy; aneuploidy; anomaly; non-invasive prenatal testing; obesity; ultrasound.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. WHO Expert Committee Physical status: The use and interpretation of anthropometry. [(accessed on 10 April 2014)]. Available online: http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/growth_physical_status/en/
    1. WHO Consultation on Obesity Obesity: Preventing and managing the global epidemic. [(accessed on 10 April 2014)]. Available online: http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/obesity/WHO_TRS_894/en/
    1. Ogden C.L., Carroll M.D., Kit B.K., Flegal K.M. Prevalence of obesity among adults: United States, 2011–2012. NCHS Data Brief. 2013;131:1–8. - PubMed
    1. Cedergren M.I. Maternal morbid obesity and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome. Obstet. Gynecol. 2004;103:219–224. doi: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000107291.46159.00. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Blomberg M.I., Kallen B. Maternal obesity and morbid obesity: The risk for birth defects in the offspring. Birth Defects Res. A Clin. Mol. Teratol. 2010;88:35–40. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources