Abstract
As a result of the ongoing obesity epidemic, obstetricians worldwide will be forced to deal with more obese, and even morbidly obese, pregnant women. These women have an increased risk of gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and stillbirth. Obese women are also more likely to have prolonged labor, cesarean deliveries, macrosomic infants and infants with shoulder dystocia. It is a major obstetric challenge to inform obese women about these potential risks in clear terms and, at a later date, to solve the acute obstetric problems concerning these patients during delivery. Pregnancy could be seen as a window during which women are more open to counseling about the risks of being obese and are more likely to make behavioral changes that may persist and improve their health later in life.
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