Purpose: To investigate the role of placental abnormalities in complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies in obese women.
Methods: Placentas from patients with complicated or uncomplicated pregnancies and a pregravid body mass index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m2 were analyzed histopathologically for lesions consistent with maternal and fetal circulation abnormalities and inflammatory lesions related to the maternal or fetal response. Findings were compared with a normal-weight control group matched by mode of delivery and presence/type of pregnancy complications.
Results: The obese group consisted of 28 women of whom 46% had a complicated pregnancy. The obese group had a higher rate of maternal inflammatory lesions than the normal-weight control group (43 vs. 3.6%, p<0.001). There was no difference between the obese women with complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies in mean placental weight or lesions associated with fetal or maternal vascular supply.
Conclusion: Placental inflammatory lesions may underlie the worse pregnancy course of obese women relative to normal-weight women.