Prof. Liran Hirsch explains what a high-risk pregnancy is and in which cases it is necessary to preserve the pregnancy (Walla system!)
Pregnancy and childbirth bring with them in some cases complications such as hypertension, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.
These can lead to cardiovascular disease and diabetes later in life.
New research shows that mothers may face fatal consequences up to 50 years after giving birth.
Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania determined that factors such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and premature birth contributed to an increased risk of death in the decades following birth compared to those women who had uneventful pregnancies and births.
"We know that the context of childbirth has changed since the 1950s and 1960s, but these findings demonstrate how vital it is to the long-term health of women who have had complicated pregnancies and births, both then and today," said the study's lead author, Stephanie Hinkle, an assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Penn University.
A pregnant woman (Photo: ShutterStock)
Since not much research has gone into the long-term effects of complicated births, which can lead to serious health conditions like heart disease and diabetes, the researchers decided to look into it.
They evaluated data from more than 46,000 US women who gave birth between 1959 and 1966 and tracked deaths of any kind through 2016.
The study found that preterm birth due to spontaneous labor was associated with a 7% increased risk of early death compared to those who gave birth at term. The risk increased further to 23% among those who experienced early water loss, 31% for early labor and 109% for patients who had an early cesarean delivery, compared to women who did not experience any of the types of complications during childbirth.
In women who already had high blood pressure before pregnancy and then developed preeclampsia during pregnancy, the risk of death in the following years was 32%.
Those who developed high blood pressure during their pregnancy showed a 9% risk.
Gestational diabetes or high blood sugar levels during pregnancy increased the risk of death by 14%.
The study highlights the need for preventive care and tests for women who have had complicated pregnancies and births.
health
Tags
birth
Gestational diabetes
pregnancy
Cesarean