Women who underwent bariatric surgery prior to pregnancy are more likely to have smaller babies than those who did not undergo the surgery.

"Overall prepregnancy bariatric surgery, including restrictive procedures, appears to reduce some maternal pregnancy risks but increases the neonatal risk of lower birth weight, early preterm delivery, and their potential associated long-term sequalae," the authors wrote.

This study was led by Jade Eccles-Smith, of the Department of Obstetric Medicine, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in Brisbane, Australia. It was published online on September 01, 2024, in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

The study's limitations included the potential bias from manual data entry and missing information. Additionally, the lack of data on maternal diet and weight gain limited the ability to assess how these factors might have affected the growth of the baby.

The researchers did not report any specific funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.