and overweight were protective factors against maternal
weight gain, without affecting neonatal outcomes.
Obese and overweight women were heavier and showed
higher prepregnancy BMI, which was proportional to their
nutritional status. These features persisted throughout
pregnancy and were associated with hypertension, GDM
and MGH. Similar results have also been observed in
previous studies showing association of increased BMI
with development of hypertension and hyperglycemia
[3, 7, 22–24].
In this study, logistic regression analysis indicated
obesity as a risk factor for gestational hypertension and
hyperglycemia, increasing the likelihood of their occurrence
seven and five-fold, respectively. This maternal
characteristic was also a determining factor for the fourfold
increase in the occurrence of HbA1c ≥ 6.5 % at the