Maternal anemia and long-term respiratory morbidity of the offspring-Results of a population-based cohort

The utility of inpatient anemia workup in hemoglobin < 10 g/dL diagnosed randomly in the third trimester: a retrospective study

PURPOSE

About 40% of pregnant women are anemic and at an increased risk for complications. We examined the efficacy of inpatient anemia workup and treatment in pregnant women diagnosed with moderate-severe anemia (hemoglobin < 10 mg/dL), during hospitalization in the late second-trimester and third-trimester.

METHODS

This retrospective study, conducted between March 2020 and November 2022, included women at ≥ 24 gestational weeks who were hospitalized due to various indications and diagnosed with anemia (hemoglobin < 10 mg/dL). The study group comprised women who underwent an inpatient anemia workup and initiation of anemia treatment. The comparison group comprised women who did not undergo an inpatient anemia investigation. The primary outcome was the rate of pre-delivery hemoglobin > 11 g/dL.

RESULTS

The most frequent etiology of anemia in the study group (n = 188) was iron-deficiency anemia (30.2%), followed by mixed anemia of iron, folate and vitamin-B12 deficiencies (20.7%). In the study vs. the comparison group (n = 179), the rate of pre-delivery hemoglobin > 11 g/dL was higher, and the increase in hemoglobin from intervention to delivery was greater. The ideal timing for anemia intervention for maximizing the increase in pre-delivery hemoglobin was 6-weeks or more prior to delivery. The rates of postpartum hemorrhage and blood transfusions were similar. The rate of postpartum hemoglobin < 10 g/dL was lower in the study than the comparison group.

CONCLUSION

Inpatient anemia investigation and treatment resulted in higher peri-delivery hemoglobin. In women randomly diagnosed with anemia at hospitalization, the rate of pre-delivery hemoglobin > 11 g/dL was increased among those who underwent a simple anemia investigation and treatment initiation.

The impact of maternal hyperemesis gravidarum on early childhood respiratory morbidity

BACKGROUND

Lung maldevelopment due to in-utero events may potentially cause respiratory morbidity during childhood. Maternal nutritional status during pregnancy is critical for lung development. This study is contributing to the understanding of the interplay between maternal nutrition status during pregnancy, fetal lung development and the risk for respiratory diseases in early life.

RESEARCH QUESTION

To investigate the association between maternal hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) during pregnancy and respiratory morbidity in the offspring's early childhood.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

This is a retrospective population-based cohort study that included all singleton term deliveries at Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC) between 1991 and 2021. Preterm deliveries (<37 gestational week), perinatal deaths, multiple gestations, and children with congenital malformations or chromosomal abnormalities were excluded. The main outcomes measured were offspring's hospitalizations due to pneumonia, acute bronchiolitis, asthma, or wheezing.

RESULTS

Overall 232,476 deliveries were included in the study, of which 3227 women (1.4%) were diagnosed with HG. Offspring in the HG group exhibited significantly higher rates of respiratory morbidity, including asthma (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.22-1.36, p < .001), acute bronchiolitis (OR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.21-1.59, p < .001), and pneumonia (OR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.12-1.48, p < .001). An inverse correlation between multivariate adjusted-hazard ratios for asthma and pneumonia with offspring's age was noted.

INTERPRETATION

This study provides evidence of a potential association between maternal HG during pregnancy and increased risk of respiratory morbidity in offspring's early childhood. Maternal nutritional status during pregnancy plays a crucial role in lung development, affecting respiratory health in childhood.