Overweight and underweight women have a significantly higher risk of recurrent miscarriages compared to those of average weight, according to a new study.
This systematic review and meta-analysis has been published in the journal Scientific Reports .
"Unexplained" cause half the time
Miscarriage is the most common complication of early pregnancy, affecting between 15% and 20% of all pregnancies, and although it is often attributed to numerous medical factors and lifestyle influences, the cause is considered "unexplained." in about 50% of cases .
The results of this latest study have shown that there is a higher incidence of successive miscarriages in mothers who are underweight (with a body mass index less than 18.5), overweight (with a BMI between 25 and 30) and obese ( with a BMI greater than 18.5 and 30).
The study, which included 16 studies , and showed that being underweight or overweight significantly increases the risk of two consecutive pregnancy losses. With a BMI greater than 25 and 30, the risk of suffering a new miscarriage increases by 20% and 70% respectively.
The research team also set out to assess the impact of factors such as smoking and alcohol and caffeine consumption . However, they were unable to conclusively establish whether or not these have any impact due to inconsistencies in the results of a small number of studies and heterogeneity in the women who participated in them.