Women with obesity are at higher risk for which of the following complications during pregnancy?

Women with obesity are indeed at a higher risk for gestational hypertension during pregnancy, making this the correct answer. Gestational hypertension is characterized by high blood pressure that develops after the 20th week of pregnancy. It is essential to recognize that obesity can lead to various cardiovascular changes, including increased vascular resistance and alterations in endothelial function, contributing to hypertension. These factors place obese women at a greater likelihood of developing complications associated with high blood pressure during pregnancy, which can have significant implications for both maternal and fetal health.

In contrast, while lower back pain and excessive weight gain can occur in pregnant women, they are not specific complications exclusively linked to obesity. They can affect any pregnant woman regardless of her weight. Thus, these options do not highlight the unique risk attributed to obesity during pregnancy compared to gestational hypertension, which is explicitly influenced by body weight and related physiological factors.