The prevalence of obesity has been increasing worldwide,
especially among young women susceptible to become
pregnant. In France, although the prevalence is lower than
in the United States, the frequency of obesity has nearly
doubled between 1997 and 2006 [
1
]. In 20–39 year old
women, it increased from 5.2 to 11.0% over this period.
Obesity and associated cardio-metabolic complications
deserve particular attention in the context of pregnancy.
Indeed, it is now well recognized that maternal obesity at
conception increases the risk of complications in preg-
nancy, labor, and birth for both the mother and the neonate
[
2
–
5
]. In particular, gestational diabetes mellitus and
hypertensive disorders are more prevalent in obese preg-
nant women [
6
,
7
]. These complications themselves confer
higher risks of adverse fetal and neonatal outcome, such as
large-for-gestational-age (LGA) neonates in mothers with
gestational diabetes, or intra-uterine growth restriction in
mothers with gestational hypertension [
8
–
11
].