Starting pregnancy with long-term conditions linked with 20% higher miscarriage risk: study
A new study published in The Lancet Public Health links multiple pre-existing physical or mental health conditions at the start of pregnancy to significantly higher risks of complications. Researchers emphasize the need for integrated maternity and mental health care for these women.
Why it matters
The findings highlight a critical need for improved antenatal screening and specialized support for pregnant women with complex health histories.
Beginning pregnancy with multiple long-term physical or mental health conditions could be related with a 20% higher risk of miscarriage and 69% higher risk of severe nausea and vomiting, new research suggests.
Findings published in The Lancet Public Health journal also indicate a four-fold risk of anxiety and depression among women who begin pregnancy with two or more pre-existing conditions.
Researchers, led by King's College London, also found that those with multiple long-term conditions had more than double the risk of venous thromboembolism and a 42 per cent higher risk of pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure in pregnancy), compared to those without long-term conditions.
Each additional condition was found to increase risks of complications -- for example, risk of venous thromboembolism was more than three-and-a-half times among women with three or more conditions, compared to women with no long-term conditions.
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