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
Pregnancies beginning with multiple long-term physical or mental health conditions appear to carry a 20% higher likelihood of miscarriage and a 69% increased risk of severe nausea and vomiting, according to research published in The Lancet Public Health journal. Led by King's College London, the study found that women with such conditions faced a four-fold risk of experiencing anxiety and depression during pregnancy.
Researchers also observed that these women had more than double the risk of venous thromboembolism and a 42% higher chance of pre-eclampsia compared to women without pre-existing conditions. Each additional long-term condition was associated with increased risks, such as a more than three-and-a-half times higher risk of venous thromboembolism for women with three or more conditions.
Researchers emphasized the importance of recognizing multiple long-term conditions as a marker of antenatal risk, advocating for early identification and integration of physical and mental care throughout pregnancy. The findings support the need for improved perinatal mental health support and multimorbidity considerations in risk assessment and care planning.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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