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Alyssa Muchisky of Eynon, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine’s MD Class of 2021, is co-author of an abstract published in a supplement to the January 2019 edition of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Abstracts in the supplement were published in advance of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) 39th annual Pregnancy Meeting in Las Vegas, which will be held Feb. 11-16. Muchisky’s co-authors will present the poster at the meeting.

The abstract, entitled, “Delineation of risks associated with specific pre-pregnancy BMI classes,” acknowledges research that has demonstrated increased maternal body mass index (BMI) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This research, however, fails to quantify the risks of individual BMI classes. The purposes of the study were twofold: to assess for significant trends as BMI increased and to examine associations between each pre-pregnancy BMI class and obstetric complications. The results provide specific delineation of risks associated with specific pre-pregnancy BMI classes. Gestational hypertension (GHTN), preeclampsia (a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and other complications increase as BMI class increases. Neonatal birth weight, hypoglycemia and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admissions also increase as BMI class increases. 

Muchisky’s co-authors are A. Dhanya Mackeen, MD, MPH, assistant professor of epidemiology and health services research and the director of Research for the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Women’s and Children’s Institute at Geisinger; Kajal Angras, DO, maternal and fetal medicine, obstetrics & gynecology at Geisinger; and Amanda Young, MS, a biostatistician at Geisinger.

Alyssa Muchisky