Miscarriage Risk in Women with Low Body Mass Index

PAT DOYLE, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

REFERENCE: BJOG 2007114:170Underweight women were found to be at increased risk of miscarriage in a study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. A team from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine conducted a survey by questionnaire of 6 000 women among whom 600 had a first trimester miscarriage. Using a “case-control” method of comparison it emerged that women with a body mass index below 18.5 had a 70 per cent increase in their risk of miscarriage. Peter Goodwin heard more about the study fromPat Doyleof the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.