Long-Term Consequences of Severe Maternal Morbidity on Infant Growth and Development

Global burden of potentially life-threatening maternal conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Potentially life-threatening maternal conditions (PLTCs) is an important proxy indicator of maternal mortality and the quality of maternal health services. It is helpful to monitor the rates of severe maternal morbidity to evaluate the quality of maternal care, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries. This study aims to systematically identify and synthesize available evidence on PLTCs.

METHODS

We searched studies in English from 2009‒2023 in PubMed, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Gateway, the POPLINE database, and the Science Direct website. The study team independently reviewed the illegibility criteria of the articles. Two reviewers independently appraised the included articles using the Joanna Briggs Instrument for observational studies. Disputes between the reviewers were resolved by consensus with a third reviewer. Meta-analysis was conducted in Stata version 16. The pooled proportion of PLTCs was calculated using the random effects model. The heterogeneity test was performed using the Cochrane Q test, and its level was determined using the I2 statistical result. Using Egger's test, the publication bias was assessed.

RESULT

Thirty-two cross-sectional, five case-control, and seven cohort studies published from 2009 to 2023 were included in the meta-analysis. The highest proportion of PLTC was 17.55% (95% CI: 15.51, 19.79) in Ethiopia, and the lowest was 0.83% (95% CI: 0.73, 0.95) in Iraq. The pooled proportion of PLTC was 6.98% (95% CI: 5.98-7.98). In the subgroup analysis, the pooled prevalence varied based on country income level: in low-income 13.44% (95% CI: 11.88-15.00) I2 = 89.90%, low-middle income 7.42% (95% CI: 5.99-8.86) I2 = 99.71%, upper-middle income 6.35% (95% CI: 4.21-8.50) I2 = 99.92%, and high-income 2.67% (95% CI: 2.34-2.99) I2 = 99.57%. Similarly, it varied based on the diagnosis criteria; WHO diagnosis criteria used 7.77% (95% CI: 6.10-9.44) I2 = 99.96% at P = 0.00, while the Centers for Disease Controls (CDC) diagnosis criteria used 2.19% (95% CI: 1.89-2.50) I2 = 99.41% at P = 0.00.

CONCLUSION

The pooled prevalence of PLTC is high globally, predominantly in low-income countries. The large disparity of potentially life-threatening conditions among different areas needs targeted intervention, particularly for women residing in low-income countries. The WHO diagnosis criteria minimize the underreporting of severe maternal morbidity.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

CRD42023409229.

Neonatal outcomes according to different degrees of maternal morbidity: cross-sectional evidence from the Perinatal Information System (SIP) of the CLAP network

BACKGROUND

The burden of maternal morbidity in neonatal outcomes can vary with the adequacy of healthcare provision and tool implementation to improve monitoring. Such information is lacking in Latin American countries, where the decrease in severe maternal morbidity and maternal death remains challenging.

OBJECTIVES

To determine neonatal outcomes according to maternal characteristics, including different degrees of maternal morbidity in Latin American health facilities.

METHODS

This is a secondary cross-sectional analysis of the Perinatal Information System (SIP) database from eight health facilities in five Latin American and Caribbean countries. Participants were all women delivering from August 2018 to June 2021, excluding cases of abortion, multiple pregnancies and missing information on perinatal outcomes. As primary and secondary outcome measures, neonatal near miss and neonatal death were measured according to maternal/pregnancy characteristics and degrees of maternal morbidity. Estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (PRadj) with their respective 95% CIs were reported.

RESULTS

In total 85,863 live births were included, with 1,250 neonatal near miss (NNM) cases and 695 identified neonatal deaths. NNM and neonatal mortality ratios were 14.6 and 8.1 per 1,000 live births, respectively. Conditions independently associated with a NNM or neonatal death were the need for neonatal resuscitation (PRadj 16.73, 95% CI [13.29-21.05]), being single (PRadj 1.45, 95% CI [1.32-1.59]), maternal near miss or death (PRadj 1.64, 95% CI [1.14-2.37]), preeclampsia (PRadj 3.02, 95% CI [1.70-5.35]), eclampsia/HELPP (PRadj 1.50, 95% CI [1.16-1.94]), maternal age (years) (PRadj 1.01, 95% CI [<1.01-1.02]), major congenital anomalies (PRadj 3.21, 95% CI [1.43-7.23]), diabetes (PRadj 1.49, 95% CI [1.11-1.98]) and cardiac disease (PRadj 1.65, 95% CI [1.14-2.37]).

CONCLUSION

Maternal morbidity leads to worse neonatal outcomes, especially in women suffering maternal near miss or death. Based on SIP/PAHO database all these indicators may be helpful for routine situation monitoring in Latin America with the purpose of policy changes and improvement of maternal and neonatal health.

Catch-up growth of infants born to mothers with autoimmune rheumatic disorders

BACKGROUND

In women with autoimmune rheumatic disorders (ARD), pregnancy complications or postpartum events are more frequent compared to the general population. Transplacental autoantibodies or cytokines influence various fetal and neonatal outcomes. We compared the growth patterns of babies born to mothers with ARD versus healthy mothers to assess the long-term growth outcomes of children born to women with ARD.

METHODS

This was a retrospective age-matched cohort analyses of babies born to mothers with ARD from the hospitals belonging to the Catholic University of Korea between 2010 and 2017. Demographic and autoimmune laboratory test data of the mothers and newborns were assessed. Neonatal growth was measured in terms of height and weight, measured at birth and follow-up examinations.

RESULTS

We enrolled 142 infants from mothers with ARD and 149 infants from healthy mothers. There was no significant difference between mothers with ARD and healthy mothers in terms of delivery age, parity, abortion, and premature delivery history. The mothers with ARD were diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (81%), Sjogren syndrome (6%), and other autoimmune phenomena (11%). The groups were significantly different in terms of neonatal characteristics such as prematurity, gestational age, birth weight, and height, but not in Apgar score and delivery type. For most neonates, autoimmune laboratory results were normalized within 1 year, except for anti-La/SSB antibody, which remained high in some. The height and weight for age z-score were lower than the normal age groups at birth but showed catch-up growth by 2 years of age.

CONCLUSIONS

Low birthweight and prematurity at birth for neonates born to mothers with ARD could be caught up by 2 years of age, and maternal ARD does not affect the growth of their offspring.

Pregnancy-Associated Deaths Due to Drugs, Suicide, and Homicide in the United States, 2010-2019

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of pregnancy-associated deaths due to drugs, suicide, and homicide nationwide from 2010 to 2019.

METHODS

Using U.S. death certificate records from 2010 to 2019 for 33 states plus the District of Columbia, we identified pregnancy-associated deaths using the pregnancy checkbox and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes, calculated pregnancy-associated death ratios, and categorized deaths by cause, timing relative to pregnancy, race or ethnicity, and age.

RESULTS

Of 11,782 pregnancy-associated deaths identified between 2010 and 2019, 11.4% were due to drugs, 5.4% were due to suicide, and 5.4% were due to homicide, whereas 59.3% were due to obstetric causes and the remaining 18.5% were due to other causes. Drug-related deaths, suicide, and homicide accounted for 22.2% of pregnancy-associated deaths. All three causes of death increased over the study period, with drug-related pregnancy-associated deaths increasing 190%. Homicide during pregnancy and drug-related deaths, suicides, and homicide in the late postpartum period (43-365 days) accounted for a larger proportion of all deaths in these time periods than the contribution of these causes to all deaths among females of reproductive age. Pregnant and postpartum people identified as non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native were at highest risk of drug-related and suicide death, and people identified as non-Hispanic Black were at highest risk of homicide.

CONCLUSION

Deaths due to drug use, suicide, and homicide constitute more than one fifth of all deaths during pregnancy and the first year postpartum. Drug-related deaths and homicides have increased over the past decade. Substantial racial and ethnic inequities in these deaths exist.

Mental Health Conditions Increase Severe Maternal Morbidity By 50 Percent And Cost $102 Million Yearly In The United States

Perinatal mental health disorders are increasingly acknowledged as contributors to adverse maternal outcomes. We analyzed data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample (2016 and 2017) to estimate hospitalization cost, length-of-stay, and severe maternal morbidity associated with perinatal mental health disorders overall, as well as stratified by payer and by specific mental health category. We found that people with mental health disorders had $458 higher costs per delivery hospitalization and 50 percent higher rates of severe maternal morbidity compared with people without mental health disorders. We estimated increased annual delivery hospitalization costs of $102 million in the US among people with perinatal mental health conditions compared with those without. Furthermore, people diagnosed with trauma- or stress-related mental health disorders had even higher rates of hospitalization costs-$825 higher per delivery-and 87 percent higher rates of severe maternal morbidity compared with people without those diagnoses. These findings provide important information for perinatal mental health program feasibility and cost-effectiveness analyses and suggest the need for increased focus on trauma- and stress-related disorders.