Fetal lung maturity assessment with lamellar body count in women with obesity and excessive gestational weight gain

The aim of this study was to evaluate fetal lung maturation in term pregnant women with obesity and excessive gestational weight gain using the lamellar body count (LBC) test in amniotic fluid samples obtained during cesarean section. This retrospective study included women experiencing term pregnancies and undergoing cesarean delivery, categorized as normal weight (n=37), overweight (n=59), or obese (n=48) due to body mass index values of 18.5 to 24.9; 25 to 29.9; and ≥30, respectively, as well as presence of excessive weight gain during pregnancy. During cesarean delivery, amniotic fluid samples were obtained without contamination of blood or meconium. Lamellar bodies in these samples were quantified using a standard hematologic counter. No significant difference was found among the LBC of the normal weight, overweight, and obese groups [42 (32-60), 40 (26-63), and 43 (24-52) x103/µL; p=0.307], although there was a subtle decrease in the LBC of the obese group with excessive weight gain. Although it is noteworthy that the LBC in the amniotic fluid of mothers with obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy showed a partial decrease, this decrease did not reach statistical significance, likely due to the relatively low number of cases in the study groups. Additional research is warranted to elucidate the relationship between LBC alterations and the severity of obesity and weight gain during pregnancy.