Maternal Body Mass Index and Risk of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Extremely Preterm Infants

Abstract

Objective We evaluated the relationship between maternal body mass index (BMI) and death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). We hypothesized that in extremely low birth weight (ELBW; BW < 1,000 g) infants, the risk of death or BPD would be greater if the maternal BMI deviated further from the ideal BMI of 24.

Study Design ELBW infants admitted to AdventHealth Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) between calendar years 2012 and 2017 were included in this retrospective observational study. BPD was defined as continuous supplemental oxygen use at 36 weeks post-menstrual age.

Result There was no association between the deviation of maternal BMI from the ideal of 24 and the composite outcome of death or BPD (6.9 ± 6.7 vs. 7.06 ± 6.6, pp = 0.966). However, there was a lower risk of death with a higher maternal BMI (p = 0.024). BPD was also associated with a higher maternal BMI (p = 0.045).

Conclusion Maternal BMI was not associated with the composite variable of death or BPD in ELBW infants. The lack of association was due to the contrast between high BMI and a lower risk of death and a higher risk for BPD.

Key Points

• Maternal BMI was not associated with the composite outcome of death or BPD.

• Elevated BMI was associated with a higher risk of BPD.

• Elevated BMI was associated with a lower risk of death.

Keywords

bronchopulmonary dysplasia - maternal obesity - maternal body mass index - extremely low birth weight infant

Authors' Contributions

R.M. was responsible for designing the research protocol, writing the protocol and report, analyzing and interpreting the data, and writing the article. A.M.was responsible for screening eligible patients, creating the database spreadsheet, and analyzing and interpreting the data. C.C.was responsible for screening eligible patients, maintaining the database spreadsheet, and analyzing and interpreting the data. K.F. contributed to study design and was responsible for extracting the data from the database. Y.D. conducted the statistical analysis and contributed to the design of the statistical analysis and edited the statistics section of the article. J.P.was responsible for sample size calculations and statistical methods analysis of data. W.O. provided feedback and insight into the research design, protocol, analysis, interpretation, and edited the article for submission

Publication History

Received: 25 August 2021

Accepted: 24 February 2022

Accepted Manuscript online:
03 March 2022

Article published online:
27 June 2022

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