STUDY ANALYSIS 2
The article “Risk of major congenital malformations concerning maternal overweight and obesity severity: a cohort study of 1.2 million singletons” aims to estimate the risk factors of major congenital malformation for children who are born f underweight mothers. That is mothers who have BMI of below 18.5 together with mothers who have a BMI of between 25 and 30 and the obesity mothers who have a BMI between 30 and 35. These children were compared to children of mothers with normal weight during their early pregnancy. The study design used in the article was population-based cohort study which included 1243 957 infants from the year 2001 to 2014. The participants were observed for a period, and then, information of maternal and pregnancy was collected using linkage of individual records.
The study investigated the association between maternal BMI in early pregnancies and the increased risk of congenital disorder for children born of obese mothers. Also, the risk of the most common subgroups of organ-specific malformations was studied in this paper. The research also compared the risk ratios of infants forming in obese and those forming in parents with a normal BMI.
The findings of the article revealed a total of 43 550 (3.5%) of the total participants had developed major congenital malformations and some among them had organs with specific malformation due to the weight of their mothers. The most prevalent congenital disorders reported were congenital heart defects for a population of 20 074. The risk for a child born of mothers with normal BMI was reduced significantly. The risk ratios of any major congenital malformation for overweight mothers were 3.5% and 1.05 with a confidence interval of 1.02 to 1.07. Obesity class I had a risk ratio of 3.8% and 1.12, the obesity class II has a ratio of 4.2%, and 1.23 and obesity class III had a risk ratio of 4.7% and 1.37. From the results, the risk of congenital disorders and malformations increased from overweight to obesity class III indicating that the risk is higher when a mother is more obese. Also, the highest organ-specific relative risks associated with maternal overweight were recorded for malformations of the nervous system followed by genital and digestive malformations. The article concluded that higher risk of congenital malformation is experienced by infants born of mothers with severe obesity.
Qualitative Study
The article A Qualitative Study of the Maternity Care Experiences of Women with Obesity: “More than Just a Number on the Scale” used a qualitative study design to find out the experiences of women with obesity in the maternity care system of the United States. During the study, data was collected using a telephone interview where 16 women with a body mass index of 30 or more were used as participants in the study. Obese women experiences were analyzed using inductive analytical process.
The article wanted to research the experiences of obese women while in the maternity care system in the United States. The high prevalence of women with obesity in the United States raised concern and led to the development of various studies with an aim to understand the experiences of those women.
The findings of the study revealed that obese women are given a variety of maternity care experiences and some of the women to be receiving satisfactorily care. Most of the women interviewed complained of at least one or two instances of negative experience during perinatal care. The study also found out a positive impact of interactions between women and their providers during pregnancy as it promoted psychological and emotional comfort to women with obesity. Good interaction between pregnant women and providers also affected the context of care and the quality of care offered by these patients.
Strength
The strength of the first article on “Risk of major congenital malformations concerning maternal overweight and obesity severity: a cohort study of 1.2 million singletons” is that it provides an in-depth view of the topic and have used a large number participants. The study design used by the article is the best for the quantitative study as it was a representative of a large population. The sample size used was large enough; therefore the results of the study can be generalized to a large population. The study comprises of original work with its language and has used literature to support the assumptions if the study.
Weakness
Although the study covered most of the important aspects revealing the association between maternal BMI in early pregnancies and the increased risk of congenital disorder for children born of obese mothers, it did not leave a suggestion for further studies. The study design was quantitative and the data used was for a long which makes it tedious to analyze and calculate the findings.
Strengths
The article “A Qualitative Study of the Maternity Care Experiences of Women with Obesity: “More than Just a Number on the Scale” has answered the research question is intended to answer. Also, the discussion, results, and conclusion, as well as the recommendations, are well organized and explained making the article credible for use in future studies. It also suggested further research on the interaction between obese pregnant women and their providers as well as the implication that had on the quality of care. This is a positive aspect of the article as leaves room for critique and support of the article by other researchers.
Weakness
The article lacks a clear synthesis of other literature to support the findings if the study. This reduces its credibility in use for further studies.