Childbirth is associated with increased risk risks of severe maternal morbidity, such as cardiac and cerebrovascular accidents, kidney and liver failure, complications during delivery, uterine rupture, postpartum hemorrhage, preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, increased liver function tests, thrombocytopenic syndrome, and severe mental health disorders.
Severe maternal morbidity refers to life-threatening events occurring during pregnancy, delivery and up to 42 days postpartum.
The rates of severe maternal morbidity have steadily increased in several countries, including the US.
Women may experience persistent health problems following severe maternal morbidity events, including reproductive challenges, loss of reproductive ability as a result of life-saving procedures, such as hysterectomy, decreased fertility, physical, and emotional consequences.
Maternal traits that hypothesize to increase fetal growth include:
Higher body mass index
Higher fasting glucose
Gestational or type two diabetes
High triglycerides
Lower HDL cholesterol
Lower adiponectin
Maternal traits that are hypothesized to decrease fetal growth:
Hypertension
Lower vitamin D status
The rate of severe maternal morbidity is currently 144 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations.
Dieting and low weight gain during pregnancy associated with neural tube defects.
Evidence that a severe maternal morbidity during a first childbirth is associated with a decreased probability of a second childbirth.
Women with severe morbidity with their first pregnancy are 3 to 6 times more likely than women without such experiences to have recurrent severe maternalmorbidity with their second pregnancy.