Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of Post-Bariatric Surgery: A Population-Based Study

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: This study has two main goals. The first step is to assess the incidence, risk factors, and maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women who have undergone Bariatric Surgery (BS). Second, to analyze these effects among pregnant women without a history of BS, these include women who are obese, overweight, and of normal weight (non-exposed groups). Methods: This population-based study was conducted using 12-month retrospective registry data from the PEARL-Peristat Study at the Women's Wellness and Research Center (WWRC) in Qatar. A total of 6,212 parturient women and their respective offspring were examined. Participants were categorized into two groups: those with a history of Bariatric Surgery (post-BS) as the exposed group (N=315), and those without such a history as the non-exposed group (N=5,897). Both univariate and multivariable regression analyses were employed to scrutinize risk factors and outcomes. Results: Qatari, advanced maternal age, parity >1, diabetes, and hypertension were found to be significant risk factors for women with post-BS. Also, women in the post-BS group were found to be more likely to have a cesarean delivery (37.5% vs. 24%, aOR=1.59, CI 1.18-2.14), preterm babies (10% vs. 7%, aOR=1.66, CI 1.06-2.59), and stillbirth (1.6% vs. 0.4%, aOR=4.53, CI 1.33-15.50) compared to the normal weight women group. Moreover, post-BS women had a higher risk of low-birth-weight neonates than obese (15% vs. 8%, aOR= 1.77, CI 1.153-2.73), overweight (15% vs. 7%, aOR=1.63, CI:1.09-2.43), and normal weight (15% vs. 8%, aOR=1.838, CI 1.23-2.75) women. Finally, women in the post-BS group were more likely to have low-birth-weight neonates amongst term babies than obese and overweight women. Conclusion: Pregnancies with post-BS should be considered a high-risk group for certain medical outcomes and should be monitored closely. These findings may guide the future clinical decisions of antenatal and postnatal follow-up for post-BS women.