Summary of How Pregnancy Complications Can Haunt Mothers for 50 Years:
Complications from pregnancy and childbirth, such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and preterm delivery, can increase the risk of death for decades after delivery, according to a new study published in Circulation. The study emphasizes the importance of preventive care and screenings for those with complicated pregnancies and deliveries, with the long-term effects of these complications often being overlooked. The study drew on data collected from over 46,000 people who gave birth at a dozen US health centers between 1959 and 1966 and found that preterm childbirth, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and gestational diabetes or high blood sugar levels in pregnancy all increased the risk of death in the following decades. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development funded the study.
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Complications from Pregnancy and Childbirth Increase Risk of Long-Term Mortality, Study Finds
Pregnancy and childbirth are supposed to be a joyful and fulfilling experience for women, but complications arising from these events can have deadly consequences for mothers. A new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine reveals that women who experienced complications during pregnancy and childbirth have an increased risk of death in the decades following delivery compared to those who had uneventful pregnancies and deliveries. The study highlights the importance of preventive care and screenings for women with complicated pregnancies and deliveries, with the long-term effects of these complications often being overlooked.
High Mortality Rates among Mothers
More than 800 people die in the United States every year giving birth. Out of every 100,000 births, more than 23 results in the death of the person delivering. These figures account for deaths in childbirth and during the immediate postpartum period. However, the long-term effects of complicated childbirths, which can lead to severe and lifelong health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and more, have been mainly overlooked.
Data from More than 46,000 Patients
The study drew on data from more than 46,000 people who’d given birth between 1959 and 1966 at a dozen United States health centers. The patients were tracked for deaths until 2016, when roughly 39 percent, or 18,000, had died.
Complications Tied to Increased Risk of Death
The researchers found that due to spontaneous labor, preterm childbirth was tied to a 7 percent increase in the risk of death. The risk climbed to 23 percent for those whose water broke before term and 31 percent for preterm induced labor. It doubled, or 109 percent, for patients with a preterm cesarean delivery compared to those who hadn’t experienced these deliveries.
Regarding hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, the risk of death in subsequent years ranged from 9 percent for those with high blood pressure explicitly tied to their pregnancy to 32 percent for those who already had high blood pressure before their pregnancy and then developed preeclampsia in their pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes or high blood sugar levels in pregnancy increased the risk of death in the following decades by 14 percent.
Disparities in Outcomes by Race
Deaths in childbirth and the immediate postpartum period disproportionately affect Black people. The death rate for Black patients was higher than for White patients (41 percent of the Black patients in the sample compared to 37 percent of White patients). Preterm delivery was much more common in Black patients than White patients (20 to 9 percent).
Investing in Preventive Care and Screenings Is Essential
The study’s lead author, Stefanie Hinkle, highlights the importance of investing in preventive care and screenings for people with complicated pregnancies and deliveries. Hinkle believes more research is needed to study whether these findings point to pregnancy complications being “causal” in mortality or “just predictive by revealing an underlying risk.”
The study was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and its findings are published in Circulation.
Conclusion
The long-term mortality risk is high for women who experience complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Investing in treatments and interventions for women who experience difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth is essential to avoid fatal consequences for mothers. This study highlights the importance of preventive care and screenings for women with complicated pregnancies and deliveries, which could prevent severe and lifelong health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Hingis essential
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