Hyperemesis gravidarum during second trimester linked to placental complications

Article

Women whose pregnancies are complicated by hyperemesis gravidarum in the second trimester are at a much higher risk of placental dysfunction disorders such as placental abruption and small-for-gestational age (SGA) babies, according to a study appearing in the January 30, 2013, issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

 

Women whose pregnancies are complicated by hyperemesis gravidarum in the second trimester are at a much higher risk of placental dysfunction disorders such as placental abruption and small-for-gestational age (SGA) babies, according to a study appearing in the January 30, 2013, issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The population-based cohort study-which evaluated 1,156,050 pregnancies in the Swedish Medical Birth Register between 1997 and 2009-found that women with hyperemesis gravidarum in the first trimester had only a slightly increased risk of preeclampsia.

Women with hyperemesis gravidarum with first admission to a hospital in the second trimester had a more than doubled risk of preterm (<37 weeks) preeclampsia, a threefold increased risk of placental abruption, and a 39% increased risk of a SGA newborn. Adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence intervals] were: 2.09 [1.38–3.16], 3.07 [1.88–5.00] and 1.39 [1.06–1.83], respectively.

The researchers note that their findings suggest that hyperemesis gravidarum could be associated with abnormal placentation. “As hCG levels may be both a cause and an effect of placentation, the time of onset of hyperemesis gravidarum may influence the risks of abnormal placentation disorders,” they write. “In very early pregnancy, high hCG levels may favour normal pregnancy development, whereas, later in pregnancy, abnormal placentation may cause high hCG levels.”

To the researchers’ knowledge, no previous study has investigated hyperemesis gravidarum occurring in the first and second trimesters separately when studying associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Bolin M, Åkerud H, Cnattingius S, Stephansson O, Wikström A. Hyperemesis gravidarum and risks of placental dysfunction disorders: a population-based cohort study. BJOG. 2013. Epub ahead of print.

Recent Videos
March of Dimes reports increase in maternity care desert prevalence | Image Credit: marchofdimes.org.
Discussing low-dose aspirin use for preeclampsia prevention | Image Credit: komodohealth.com
Addressing maternal health inequities: Insights from CDC's Wanda Barfield | Image Credit: cdc.gov
Addressing racial and ethnic disparities in brachial plexus birth Injury | Image Credit: shrinerschildrens.org
Innovations in prenatal care: Insights from ACOG 2024 | Image Credit:  uofmhealth.org.
The impact of smoking cessation on pregnancy outcomes | Image Credit: rwjmg.rwjms.rutgers.edu
Maximizing maternal health: The impact of exercise during pregnancy | Image Credit: cedars-sinai.org
The importance of nipocalimab’s FTD against FNAIT | Image Credit:  linkedin.com
Fertility treatment challenges for Muslim women during fasting holidays | Image Credit: rmanetwork.com
Related Content
© 2024 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.