National Maternity and Perinatal Audit – NHS Maternity care for women with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above

This report focuses on the maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women with body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above who gave birth between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2017, compared with those of women with BMI in the range 18.5–24.9. Women with BMI of 30 or above have a higher risk of complications antenatally, intrapartum and postnatally than women with a BMI in the healthy range. Nevertheless, approximately one-third of these women have a pregnancy and birth without complication.

The data in this report is derived from linked national maternity and mental health data sets, based on births between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2017 in England, Wales and Scotland.

The report demonstrates that presentation of maternal or neonatal outcomes by maternal BMI, parity and risk status (as assessed at admission for birth) is both feasible and likely to be useful to support informed decision making.

You can read the report by clicking on the link below.

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