The Timing of Pregnancies After Bariatric Surgery has No Impact on Children’s Health—a Nationwide Population-based Registry Analysis

Abstract

Purpose Bariatric surgery has a favorable effect on fertility in women. However, due to a lack of data regarding children’s outcomes, the ideal time for conception following bariatric surgery is unknown. Current guidelines advise avoiding pregnancy during the initial weight loss phase (12–24 months after surgery) as there may be potential risks to offspring. Thus, we aimed to analyze health outcomes in children born to mothers who had undergone bariatric surgery. The surgery-to-delivery interval was studied. Materials and Methods A nationwide registry belonging to the Austrian health insurance funds and containing health-related data claims was searched. Data for all women who had bariatric surgery in Austria between 01/2010 and 12/2018 were analyzed. A total of 1057 women gave birth to 1369 children. The offspring’s data were analyzed for medical health claims based on International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes and number of days hospitalized. Three different surgery-to-delivery intervals were assessed: 12, 18, and 24 months. Results Overall, 421 deliveries (31%) were observed in the first 2 years after surgery. Of these, 70 births (5%) occurred within 12 months after surgery. The median time from surgery to delivery was 34 months. Overall, there were no differences noted in frequency of hospitalization and diagnoses leading to hospitalization in the first year of life, regardless of the surgery-to-delivery interval. Conclusion Pregnancies in the first 24 months after bariatric surgery were common. Importantly, the surgery-to-delivery interval had no significant impact on the health outcome of the children. Graphical Abstract

Nutritional Implications of Bariatric Surgery on Pregnancy Management—A Narrative Review of the Literature

“…Chao et al found that delivery during the 2 years after BS was not associated with an increased risk of surgical reinterventions [33]. Additionally, the surgery-to-delivery interval was found to have had no significant impact on the health outcome of children in the first year of life [34]. An important issue to be remembered is that women will become pregnant with a shorter TTC interval.…”

Micronutrients in Pregnancy after Bariatric Surgery: A Narrative Review

“…Clinical guidelines recommend delaying pregnancy for 12–18 months after BS, until weight loss has stabilised and dietary intake is adequate, to prevent nutritional deficiencies [ 31 , 32 , 39 , 40 ]. Although studies that have evaluated early pregnancies have not consistently observed an increase in complications [ 36 , 37 , 41 ], a closer clinical follow-up is recommended in these cases.…”