The impact of maternal obesity on the length of labour

Authors

  • Syed Raza Jaffer
  • Samra Ayub
  • Ayesha Basharat
  • Waqas Ayub

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effect of maternal obesity on mean length of labour by comparing it with women of normal body mass index (BMI).

Material and Methods: This is a cohort study which was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi, Pakistan from September 2012 to February 2013. Total of one hundred and twenty pregnant women, at twenty weeks of gestation, were selected by the non-probability consecutive sampling from obstetric outpatient department and maternal BMI was calculated based upon maternal height and weight measurements. Sixty among the selected were placed in the obese group on the basis of BMI ≥ 30 Kg/m² and sixty were included in the non-obese control group with BMR between 20 to 24.9 Kg/m². A detailed history including medical, surgical, gynaecological, obstetric and family history was obtained. Laboratory investigations for these patients were carried out including blood group, blood complete picture (CP), Fasting blood glucose, Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1Ñ) urine routine examination (RE), viral serology and obstetric ultrasound for fetal wellbeing. Since all these patients were booked cases, therefore, were followed during labour and partogram was maintained to determine the length of labour.                                        

Results: Age distribution of the patients revealed mean age and SD as 27.83+2.54 in obese Group-A and 29.35+3.06 years in non-obese control Group-B. Gestational age in weeks was recorded and analyzed where 36.67 %( n=11) patients in Group-A and 43.33 % (n=13) patients in Group-B were between 37-38 weeks of gestation, 63.33% (n=19) in Group-A and 56.67% (n=17) in Group-B were between 39-40 weeks of gestation. Mean length of first stage of labour in obese versus non-obese groups showed 8.21+6.56 hours in Group-A and 8.50+4.56 hours in Group-B, with a non-significant p value of 0.274. In the second stage of labour the mean length of labour was 49.00+36.34 minutes in Group-A and 62.00+43.14 minutes in Group-B with a p value of 0.05 which was statistically significant.

Conclusion: In view of the results of the study it is concluded that duration of labour in women with increased BMI is significantly longer than the women with normal BMI.

Key words: Maternal obesity, body mass index, mean length of labour.

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Published

03-08-2016

How to Cite

1.
Jaffer SR, Ayub S, Basharat A, Ayub W. The impact of maternal obesity on the length of labour. Pak J Pathol [Internet]. 2016 Aug. 3 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];23(3). Available from: https://pakjpath.com/index.php/Pak-J-Pathol/article/view/82

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