The role of obesity in the development of labor and postpartum abnormalities

Aim. Comparative assessment of the features of the course of labor and postpartum period in women with obesity of various classes.

Methods. During 2014-2016, a cohort retrospective and prospective study included 318 birth records. The main group consisted of 198 case records of women with different severity of obesity (122 with obesity class I, 57 with class II and 19 with class III), and the control group included 120 case records of women without obesity.

Results. In women with obesity class II and III (p=0.003 and p <0.001) had preterm birth more often than in the control group. Patients with obesity class III had the cesarean section significantly more often than in the control group (p=0.043), in the same group hypertensive disorders in labor and intrauterine hypoxia of the fetus developed more frequently (p=0.009 and p=0.039). In the postpartum period with class III obesity, postpartum haemorrhage was significantly more frequent than in the control group (p=0.045). Among complications of postpartum period in patients with obesity class II, a loychiometer (by 1.7 times), endometritis (by 1.6 times), complications after cesarean section (by 2.1 times) were registered more often than in the control group, and in obesity class III - subinvolution of the uterus (by 2.1 times), endometritis (by 2.4 times), complications after cesarean section (by 3.2 times), divergence of the seams on the perineum (by 2.4 times), but these parameters were not statistically significantly different.

Conclusion. The negative impact of excess body weight on the labor course was shown, moreover, labor in obesity class I is more favorable than in class II and III.