ABSTRACT
To study the impact of prepregnancy BMI on the mode of delivery. We wish to test the hypothesis that a raised BMI in the first trimester predicts a higher rate of medical complications and operative deliveries. This is a prospective observational study of women delivering at the Women's Hospital during January and February 2005. Of 340 primigravidas who delivered during that period we included sixty in the study using exclusion criteria such as booking after the first trimester and multiple pregnancies. The authors collected data; a sheet was used and then entered in the computer. The obstetric outcomes looked into by means of SPSS statistical package. Both overweight and obese patients showed a higher pregnancy complication rate as compared to those of normal prepregnancy BMI. Glucose intolerance [25% in the obese Vs 15%in the normal BMI group]. Hypertension was 8.3% in the obese vs. 0% in the normal BM1 group. Obstetric interventions were also significantly higher in the High BMI group. Induction of labour was 31% in the obese group compared to 15% in the normal BMI group, prolonged second stage was 56% in the obese versus 37% in the normal BMI group, Caesarean section [CS] was 46% in the overweight women and 33% in the obese vs. 20% in the normal BMI group. Fetal macrosomia was 12.5% in the obese compared to a zero percent in the normal BMI group. The rate of prematurity was significantly reduced in the obese] 0% vs. 15% [n=3] in the normal BMI group with 26.7% [n=4] in the overweight.] A high BMI may be an indicator of risk for the pregnancy and delivery