Women born before completing gestational period are themselves at high risk of experiencing pregnancy related complications than others, researchers reveal.
Babies born before completing 37 weeks of gestational period are known as premature babies.
Previous studies have found low birth weight of girls leading to pregnancy related complications like gestational hypertension, diabetes and preeclampsia. Dr. Anne Monique Nuyt and colleagues initiated to re- examine the role played by preterm birth in the occurrence.
The study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal reached this conclusion after analyzing a data that included women born between 1976 and 1995, both premature (7405) and full term babies (16714). Among the premature babies, 554 were born before completing 32 weeks and 6851 between 32 and 36 weeks.
All these participants had given birth to at least on child between 1987 and 2008. Other factors like health conditions of the participants and social factors were taken into consideration.
Results proved birth before completing gestational period increasing a women's risk of experiencing pregnancy related complications. Risks of developing pregnancy related complications went up along with the decrease in the gestational age or the early the baby is born.
Compared to the pregnancy complications among full term born mothers (one in 10), women born premature, before 32 weeks of gestation were found at higher risk (one in five) of complications like chronic hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
"We knew that to be born with a low birth weight could be associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications, but with this study we isolated the "born preterm factor" and show that being born premature has a major impact on pregnancy complications," Nuyt said, in a news release.
The findings bring concern as one in every eight babies in U.S. is born prematurely. Preterm birth is a great concern among parents as it leads to many health problems for the child like cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, respiratory problems, feeding or digestive problems and vision or hearing loss.
"The impact of preterm births on obstetric care should be taken into account by professionals providing care directly to patients and by managers allocating resources within the health care system," Nuyt said.
