ArticleBMC medicine2024
Integrating multiple lines of evidence to assess the effects of maternal BMI on pregnancy and perinatal outcomes.
Article in BMC medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Multi-ancestry, trans-generational GWAS meta-analysis of gestational diabetes and glycaemic traits during pregnancy reveals limited evidence of pregnancy-specific genetic effects.Nature communications · 2026Pooled it
- The influence of fetal sex on maternal blood pressure in pregnancy.BMC medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Parental genetically predicted liability for coronary heart disease and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes: a cohort study.BMC medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of a physical activity and healthy eating lifestyle intervention in pregnancy on fetal growth trajectories: The DALI randomised controlled trial.Pediatric obesity · 2025Trial
- Joint Associations of Maternal Smoking and Pre-Pregnancy BMI with Term Low Birthweight and Small-for-Gestational-Age Births: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of 2024 United States Birth Data.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Genetically Informed Research Designs in Perinatal Pharmacoepidemiology: A Methodological Overview.Drug safety · 2026Review
- Age at menarche and adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes: triangulating evidence from multivariable and Mendelian randomization analyses.International journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Parental body mass index and offspring childhood body size and eating behaviour: A structural equation modelling analysis in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study.PLoS medicine · 2026Article
- Nutrition, Physical Activity and Other Health Aspects Before and During Pregnancy - Recommendations by the Nationwide "Healthy Start Network" (Netzwerk Gesund ins Leben) 2026.Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde · 2026Article
- Article
- Characterizing the effects of genetic liability to autoimmune conditions on pregnancy outcomes using Mendelian randomization.BMC medicine · 2026Article
- Non-linear and context-dependent association of maternal BMI with cumulative live birth in Chinese women undergoing intrauterine insemination: a retrospective study of 3788 cycles.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Article
- Identifying critical windows for macrosomia prevention: a study on the association between phase-specific dynamic BMI changes and macrosomia risk.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Article
- Efficacy of an e-education program based on the Health Belief Model on exercise management in women with gestational hypertension: A randomized controlled clinical trial.International journal of nursing sciences · 2026Article
- The Mediating Role of Blood Metabolites in the Association between Basal Metabolic Rate and Obstetrical Disorders: A Mendelian Randomization AnalysisEndocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets · 2026Article
- A mobile health-based lifestyle intervention on gestational weight gain in pregnant women with overweight or obesity: protocol of a randomized controlled trial (the HGWG-pro study).BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Dynamic OGTT-derived C-peptide trajectories for metabolic heterogeneity and adverse pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes mellitus: a nested case‒control study.BMC medicine · 2025Article
- Closer look at the cardiovascular and metabolic predictors of postpartum depression.World journal of psychiatry · 2025Article
- Greater intrinsic motivation for engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors is associated with reduced postpartum weight.Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2025Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
40 authors at 18 institutions in 9 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundHigher maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) is associated with adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. However, whether these associations are causal remains unclear.
methodsWe explored the relation of maternal pre-/early-pregnancy BMI with 20 pregnancy and perinatal outcomes by integrating evidence from three different approaches (i.e. multivariable regression, Mendelian randomisation, and paternal negative control analyses), including data from over 400,000 women.
resultsAll three analytical approaches supported associations of higher maternal BMI with lower odds of maternal anaemia, delivering a small-for-gestational-age baby and initiating breastfeeding, but higher odds of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, pre-labour membrane rupture, induction of labour, caesarean section, large-for-gestational age, high birthweight, low Apgar score at 1 min, and neonatal intensive care unit admission. For example, higher maternal BMI was associated with higher risk of gestational hypertension in multivariable regression (OR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.63, 1.70 per standard unit in BMI) and Mendelian randomisation (OR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.38, 1.83), which was not seen for paternal BMI (OR = 1.01; 95% CI = 0.98, 1.04). Findings did not support a relation between maternal BMI and perinatal depression. For other outcomes, evidence was inconclusive due to inconsistencies across the applied approaches or substantial imprecision in effect estimates from Mendelian randomisation.
conclusionsOur findings support a causal role for maternal pre-/early-pregnancy BMI on 14 out of 20 adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. Pre-conception interventions to support women maintaining a healthy BMI may reduce the burden of obstetric and neonatal complications.
fundingMedical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, European Research Council, National Institutes of Health, National Institute for Health Research, Research Council of Norway, Wellcome Trust.
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Registered trials
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