RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Pregnancy complications among women born preterm
JF Canadian Medical Association Journal
JO CMAJ
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 1777
OP 1784
DO 10.1503/cmaj.120143
VO 184
IS 16
A1 Ariane Boivin
A1 Zhong-Cheng Luo
A1 François Audibert
A1 Benoit Mâsse
A1 Francine Lefebvre
A1 Réjean Tessier
A1 Anne Monique Nuyt
YR 2012
UL http://www.cmaj.ca/content/184/16/1777.abstract
AB Background: Adults who were born with low birth weights are at increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions, including pregnancy complications. Low birth weight can result from intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth or both. We examined the relation between preterm birth and pregnancy complications later in life.Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study in the province of Quebec involving 7405 women born preterm (554 < 32 weeks, 6851 at 32–36 weeks) and a matched cohort of 16 714 born at term between 1976 and 1995 who had a live birth or stillbirth between 1987 and 2008. The primary outcome measures were pregnancy complications (gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia or eclampsia).Results: Overall, 19.9% of women born at less than 32 weeks, 13.2% born at 32–36 weeks and 11.7% born at term had at least 1 pregnancy complication at least once during the study period (p < 0.001). Women born small for gestational age (both term and preterm) had increased odds of having at least 1 pregnancy complication compared with women born at term and at appropriate weight for gestational age. After adjustment for various factors, including birth weight for gestational age, the odds of pregnancy complications associated with preterm birth was elevated by 1.95-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.54–2.47) among women born before 32 weeks’ gestation and 1.14-fold (95% CI 1.03–1.25) among those born at 32–36 weeks’ gestation relative to women born at term.Interpretation: Being born preterm, in addition to, and independent of, being small for gestational age, was associated with a significantly increased risk of later having pregnancy complications.