Maternal body mass index and complications of pregnancy and labor

History and Objectives: Due to complications of pregnancy and labor and several reports on the association of BMI with outcome of pregnancy, the present study is performed in order to determine relationship between maternal BMI with complication of pregnancy and labor on the pregnant women referred at the Shabihkhani hospital in Kashan between years of 1998-1999. Materials and Methods: A cohort study was performed on 450 nulliparous pregnant women without previous systemic diseases. The individuals were referred to hospital for prenatal care in the first trimester and delivery. Women were divided into three groups (150 individuals) based on the Body Mass Index (BMI) as BMI 26. Prenatal complication such as hypertension, hospitalization before delivery, weight gain in pregnancy, premature rupture of membrane, decreased fetal movement, preterm labor, post data pregnancy and labor pain was recorded. Intrapartum and postnatal complications was studied with the index of stimulation of labor with oxytocin, type of delivery, maternal hemorrhage during delivery, duration of hospitalization, apgar score and weight of newborns. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test and Fisher exact test. Results: Three groups were matched for age and porous. Hypertension was present in 10.7% of women with BMI 26 (P Conclusion: Deviation of normal BMI in pregnancy causes increase in complication of pregnancy and delivery. Due to the importance of public health of pregnant women special attention must be paid to increase in maternal weight in reproductive age in order to lower these complication.