Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40027475›Full record

ArticleAJOG global reports2025

Gestational weight gain and increased risk of cesarean delivery across body mass index categories.

Pearl A McElfish, Britni L Ayers, Nicola L Hawley, Aaron Caldwell, Austin Porter, Michael D Macechko, Donya Watson, Jennifer A Callaghan-Koru, James P Selig, Jennifer A Andersen and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in AJOG global reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Pearl A McElfishCollege of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, AR (McElfish, Callaghan-Koru, and Andersen).
Britni L AyersCollege of Nursing, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville, AR (Ayers).
Nicola L HawleyDepartment of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT (Hawley).
Aaron CaldwellFay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, AR (Caldwell, Callaghan-Koru, and Selig).
Austin PorterFay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR (Porter and Brown).
Michael D MacechkoCollege of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville, AR (Macechko).
Donya WatsonCollege of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR (Watson, Manning, and Gomez-Pomar).
Jennifer A Callaghan-KoruCollege of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, AR (McElfish, Callaghan-Koru, and Andersen).
James P SeligFay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, AR (Caldwell, Callaghan-Koru, and Selig).
Jennifer A AndersenCollege of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, AR (McElfish, Callaghan-Koru, and Andersen).
Nirvana ManningCollege of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR (Watson, Manning, and Gomez-Pomar).
Lanita WhiteCommunity Health Centers of Arkansas, North Little Rock, AR (White).
Enrique Gomez-PomarCollege of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR (Watson, Manning, and Gomez-Pomar).
Clare C BrownFay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR (Porter and Brown).

Funding

Expanding Translational Research in ArkansasUL1TR003107 · NCATS · UNIV OF ARKANSAS FOR MED SCIS · PI JAMES, LAURA P · 2019 to 2023
$21.6M
The Role of the Mitochondrion in the Metabolic Stress Response to Burn TraumaP20GM109096 · NIGMS · ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL RES INST · PI BROWN, ANDREW W · 2016 to 2025
$20.7M
Institutional Career DevelopmentKL2TR003108 · NCATS · UNIV OF ARKANSAS FOR MED SCIS · PI ARTHUR, JOHN M., BORSHEIM, ELISABET · 2019 to 2023
$2.3M
Algorithmic fairness in predictive models to eliminate disparities in adverse infant outcomes: A case for raceK01MD018072 · NIMHD · UNIV OF ARKANSAS FOR MED SCIS · PI BROWN, CLARE C · 2022 to 2025
$496k
Exploring the Preliminary Efficacy of Centering Pregnancy with Care Navigation to Reduce Maternal Health Disparities among Marshallese WomenR21NR020677 · NINR · UNIV OF ARKANSAS FOR MED SCIS · PI AYERS, BRITNI LEE · 2022 to 2023
$421k
NCATS NIH HHS KL2 TR003108NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR003107NIGMS NIH HHS P20 GM109096NIMHD NIH HHS K01 MD018072NINR NIH HHS R21 NR020677
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUnnecessary cesarean delivery can have negative implications for both mothers and infants. In the United States, the proportion of women undergoing cesarean delivery exceeds the acceptable World Health Organization proportion. Reducing cesarean deliveries is a national goal of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy People 2030, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health.

objectiveThis study aimed to examine if excessive gestational weight gain is associated with increased risk of cesarean delivery across multiple body mass index categories. STUDY

designAnalysis was conducted using vital records data from the National Center for Health Statistics birth records. Only low-risk births were included (singleton, term-gestation [≥37 weeks], cephalic presentation, and first birth to exclude women who had a prior cesarean delivery). We used the rate of gestational weight gain (lb/wk) measured as both a categorical and continuous variable. These results were confirmed by a sensitivity analysis using total gestational weight gain (lb).

resultsRegardless of prepregnancy body mass index category, women with excessive gestational weight gain had a higher risk of cesarean delivery. Among women with a healthy prepregnancy body mass index, the risk of cesarean delivery decreased with appropriate weight gain, suggesting a potential protective effect of moderate weight gain for individuals with a healthy prepregnancy body mass index. However, weight gain beyond the appropriate level increased the risk of cesarean delivery. For women with overweight or obese prepregnancy body mass index, any increase in gestational weight gain was associated with a higher cesarean delivery risk.

conclusionThis study found a strong association between an excessive rate of gestational weight gain and the risk of cesarean delivery, regardless of prepregnancy body mass index, suggesting the need for continued efforts to reduce excessive gestational weight gain across populations.

Indexed as

body mass indexcesarean deliveryexcessive gestational weight gaingestational weight gainmaternal morbidity

Identifiers

PMID40027475
PMCPMC11869019

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.