{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,31]],"date-time":"2026-07-31T06:00:31Z","timestamp":1785477631514,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,31]],"date-time":"2026-07-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785456000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Pediatr."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Maternal obesity is increasingly prevalent worldwide and has been associated with adverse neonatal outcomes. However, the association between maternal obesity and the risk of neonatal sepsis remains uncertain. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between maternal obesity before or during early pregnancy and the risk of neonatal sepsis in offspring.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for observational studies evaluating the association between maternal obesity and neonatal sepsis. Maternal obesity was generally defined as prepregnancy or early-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) \u226530\u2005kg\/m\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      . Risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using a random-effects model accounting for potential heterogeneity.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Nine observational studies involving 2,146,883 women were included. Pooled analysis showed that maternal obesity was associated with a significantly increased risk of neonatal sepsis (RR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.15\u20131.85,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.002; I\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      \u2009=\u200958%). Stratified analyses according to maternal obesity severity showed progressively increased RRs for neonatal sepsis among women with BMI values of 30\u201334.9, 35\u201339.9, and \u226540\u2005kg\/m\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      (RRs: 1.34, 1.87, and 2.26, respectively;\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      for subgroup difference\u2009=\u20090.12). The association was significant in general obstetric populations but not in studies restricted to preterm delivery. Stronger associations were observed in studies reporting early-onset sepsis than overall neonatal sepsis. Meta-regression analysis showed that mean gestational age at delivery and neonatal birthweight significantly influenced the pooled effect size.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Maternal obesity before or during early pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of neonatal sepsis in offspring.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Systematic Review Registration<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>PROSPERO: CRD420261400345.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fped.2026.1886925","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,31]],"date-time":"2026-07-31T05:37:19Z","timestamp":1785476239000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Maternal obesity and the risk of neonatal sepsis: a meta-analysis"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Kaiting","family":"Yang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neonatology, Nanyuan Campus, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Qujing","place":["Qujing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hong","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neonatology, Nanyuan Campus, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Qujing","place":["Qujing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chuanfeng","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neonatology, Liaokuo Campus, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Qujing","place":["Qujing, 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