Background: Excess weight and obesity are a global pandemic, particularly among women of childbearing age. Pre-pregnancy obesity is linked to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, including preterm birth, macrosomia, stillbirth, and neonatal death. These risks vary by maternal age, race, and ethnicity, with rising rates among immigrant and minority women. This study investigates overweight and obesity rates in pregnant women, weight gain during pregnancy, and adherence to guidelines and possible neonatal outcomes, comparing Turkish and Syrian immigrant women.

Methods: This retrospective single-center study was conducted at Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Teaching and Research Hospital in Izmir, Turkey, over one year. Data collected included demographic information, pregnancy complications, delivery modes, maternal and neonatal anthropometric measurements, and neonatal morbidity and mortality. The study included Turkish and Syrian women with complete medical records. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Background: Excess weight and obesity are a global pandemic, particularly among women of childbearing age. Pre-pregnancy obesity is linked to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, including preterm birth, macrosomia, stillbirth, and neonatal death. These risks vary by maternal age, race, and ethnicity, with rising rates among immigrant and minority women. This study investigates overweight and obesity rates in pregnant women, weight gain during pregnancy, and adherence to guidelines and possible neonatal outcomes, comparing Turkish and Syrian immigrant women.

Methods: This retrospective single-center study was conducted at Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Teaching and Research Hospital in Izmir, Turkey, over one year. Data collected included demographic information, pregnancy complications, delivery modes, maternal and neonatal anthropometric measurements, and neonatal morbidity and mortality. The study included Turkish and Syrian women with complete medical records. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being admitted to our hospital for delivery or having just given birth
• Being Turkish or Syrian
• Having all detailed information, including mothers' pregestational and immediate pre-delivery body weights, available in medical records

Exclusion Criteria:

• Significant deficiencies in medical records
• Belonging to an ethnic group other than Turkish or Syrian

In the study, the hospital records of all pregnant women admitted for delivery at the obstetrics ward of the Women's and Children's Diseases additional service building Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital were retrospectively reviewed over a 6-month period from September 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023.