Abstract
Obesity affects nearly 40% of reproductive-aged women and has serious implications
for women's overall and reproductive health. Women with an elevated body mass index
(BMI) have higher rates of anovulation and irregular menses, lower success with fertility
treatment, and significantly higher rates of pregnancy complications, such as hypertension/preeclampsia,
gestational diabetes, and preterm delivery. Many studies have also shown an association
between obesity and early pregnancy loss. However, the causal association between
BMI and miscarriage has not been elucidated, likely due to the multifactorial effects
that BMI may have on early pregnancy development. In addition, BMI as an isolated
variable fails to capture other relevant confounding health risk factors, such as
nutrition, physical activity, and insulin resistance. In this review, we will summarize
the current literature demonstrating the association between BMI and miscarriage,
highlight the research that attempts to explain the association, and finally provide
data on therapeutic interventions to improve reproductive outcomes in women suffering
from obesity and early pregnancy loss.
Keywords
obesity - body mass index - miscarriage - pregnancy loss
