Outcomes of Pregnancy after Bariatric Surgery

TLDR

Maternal obesity increases the risk of gestational diabetes, large‑for‑gestational‑age infants, preterm birth, congenital malformations, and stillbirth, but the impact of bariatric surgery on these outcomes remains unclear. The study examined 670 singleton pregnancies after bariatric surgery among 627,693 in the Swedish Medical Birth Register, matching each to up to five controls on presurgery BMI, age, parity, smoking, education, and delivery year, and assessed risks of several perinatal outcomes. Pregnancies after bariatric surgery had significantly lower odds of gestational diabetes (0.25) and large‑for‑gestational‑age infants (0.33), but higher odds of small‑for‑gestational‑age infants (2.20) and shorter gestation, with no significant difference in preterm birth, and a non‑significant trend toward increased stillbirth or neonatal death, while congenital malformation rates were unchanged. Funding was provided by the Swedish Research Council and other agencies.

Abstract

Maternal obesity is associated with increased risks of gestational diabetes, large-for-gestational-age infants, preterm birth, congenital malformations, and stillbirth. The risks of these outcomes among women who have undergone bariatric surgery are unclear.We identified 627,693 singleton pregnancies in the Swedish Medical Birth Register from 2006 through 2011, of which 670 occurred in women who had previously undergone bariatric surgery and for whom presurgery weight was documented. For each pregnancy after bariatric surgery, up to five control pregnancies were matched for the mother's presurgery body-mass index (BMI; we used early-pregnancy BMI in the controls), age, parity, smoking history, educational level, and delivery year. We assessed the risks of gestational diabetes, large-for-gestational-age and small-for-gestational-age infants, preterm birth, stillbirth, neonatal death, and major congenital malformations.Pregnancies after bariatric surgery, as compared with matched control pregnancies, were associated with lower risks of gestational diabetes (1.9% vs. 6.8%; odds ratio, 0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13 to 0.47; P<0.001) and large-for-gestational-age infants (8.6% vs. 22.4%; odds ratio, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.44; P<0.001). In contrast, they were associated with a higher risk of small-for-gestational-age infants (15.6% vs. 7.6%; odds ratio, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.64 to 2.95; P<0.001) and shorter gestation (273.0 vs. 277.5 days; mean difference -4.5 days; 95% CI, -2.9 to -6.0; P<0.001), although the risk of preterm birth was not significantly different (10.0% vs. 7.5%; odds ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.78; P=0.15). The risk of stillbirth or neonatal death was 1.7% versus 0.7% (odds ratio, 2.39; 95% CI, 0.98 to 5.85; P=0.06). There was no significant between-group difference in the frequency of congenital malformations.Bariatric surgery was associated with reduced risks of gestational diabetes and excessive fetal growth, shorter gestation, an increased risk of small-for-gestational-age infants, and possibly increased mortality. (Funded by the Swedish Research Council and others.).