Starting pregnancy with long-term conditions linked with 20% higher miscarriage risk: study
The researchers analysed over 2.2 million pregnancies and birth events recorded between 2000 and 2022 in five datasets spanning England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
A new study published in The Lancet Public Health journal suggests that women beginning pregnancy with multiple long-term physical or mental health conditions face a 20% higher risk of miscarriage and a 69% increased likelihood of severe nausea and vomiting. Researchers from King's College London found that these women also have a four-fold risk of experiencing anxiety and depression during pregnancy.
The study, which analyzed over 2.2 million pregnancies and birth events from 2000 to 2022 in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, discovered that those with multiple long-term conditions had more than double the risk of venous thromboembolism and a 42% higher risk of pre-eclampsia compared to those without pre-existing conditions.
Each additional condition further increased the risk of complications, such as venous thromboembolism being more than three-and-a-half times higher for women with three or more conditions. Senior author Krishnarajah Nirantharakumar emphasized the importance of recognizing multiple long-term conditions as a marker of antenatal risk, advocating for early identification, integrated physical and mental care throughout pregnancy, and incorporating multimorbidity into risk assessment and care planning.
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