Maternal reproductive history and the risk of isolated congenital malformations

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prenatal Risk Factors for Congenital Heart Disease: Maternal Chronic Diseases and Parental Exposures

BACKGROUND

There is considerable heterogeneity in studies on prenatal risk factors for congenital heart diseases (CHDs). We performed a meta-analysis of all nongenetic factors of CHDs. This report presents results of factors related to maternal chronic diseases and parental exposures.

METHODS

A systematic search encompassing concepts of CHD and risk factors was used, using the following inclusion criteria: (1) original peer-reviewed articles, (2) quantifying the effects of risk factors for CHDs, (3) between 1989 and 2022. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effect model.

RESULTS

Inclusion criteria were met for 170 studies. There was an association between being overweight or obese and CHDs (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.15-1.37), with a dose-effect relationship. Pregestational diabetes (PGDM) was associated with CHDs (OR, 3.51; 95% CI, 2.86-4.3), without difference between type 1 and type 2 PGDM. The effect size of gestational diabetes was less than that of PGDM (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.18-1.61). There was an association between CHDs and pre-eclampsia (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.32-3.05), paternal smoking (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.03-1.70), and alcohol use (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.08-2.08). A smaller association was found with maternal smoking and advanced maternal age.

CONCLUSIONS

There exists robust evidence for increased risk of CHD in the presence of obesity, maternal diabetes, maternal smoking, and increased maternal age. The effect sizes were relatively modest, except for PGDM. The robustness of the evidence decreased when CHDs were divided into subgroups or when the analyses were restricted to severe CHDs.

Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity and risk of birth defects in offspring: Population-based cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Maternal obesity, a health condition increasingly prevalent worldwide, has been suggested to be associated with a higher risk of birth defects in offspring, whereas evidence from population-based data from China was largely lacking. Additionally, the role of gestational diabetes in the association between maternal obesity and birth defects remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of maternal pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity with any and different types of birth defects in offspring and the interaction between pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity and gestational diabetes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We conducted a population-based cohort study including 257 107 singletons born between 2015 and 2021 in Longgang District, Shenzhen, China, using data from the Shenzhen Maternal and Child Health Management System. Poisson regression was conducted to estimate the associations of maternal pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity, as well as the interaction between pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity and gestational diabetes, with the risk of birth defects. Models were adjusted for maternal age at delivery, educational level, type of household registration, and gravidity.

RESULTS

Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight was associated with a higher risk of any birth defect (risk ratio [RR] 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12 to 1.31) as well as of congenital malformations of the circulatory system (RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.41), eye/ear/face/neck (RR 1.42, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.94), and musculoskeletal system (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.44). Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity was associated with a higher risk of any birth defect (RR 1.38, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.63) and congenital malformations of the circulatory system (RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.98). Infants born to overweight or obese mothers with gestational diabetes had a higher risk of congenital malformations of the circulatory system than infants born to overweight or obese mothers without gestational diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity was associated with a higher risk of birth defects, particularly congenital malformations of the circulatory system, in offspring. Gestational diabetes interacts additively with pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity on modifying the risk of congenital malformations of the circulatory system. The importance of improving weight management and assessment of glucose and metabolic functions was emphasized among women planning for pregnancy who are overweight or obese.

Adverse Maternal and Perinatal Outcome of Women Aged 40 Years or Over: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Advanced maternal age is traditionally described to be 35 years of age or over. In recent years, new trends have suggested that it may be 40 years of age or over; this occurs in Hungary.

AIM

The aim of this study was to determine the association between advanced maternal age and various adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed among women who delivered between 2015 and 2017. All women aged 40 years or over (cases) were involved into the analysis (n = 374). The controls (n = 378) were randomly selected from women aged 25 to 29 years who delivered during the same period considering the number of previous gestations and previous deliveries. The data collected from the medical records comprised the mothers’ demographic and obstetric characteristics and neonatal data. To assess the contribution of maternal age to various maternal and neonatal outcomes, multiple logistic regression analyses were used.

RESULTS

The logistic regression analyses showed higher odds of gestational diabetes (AOR, adjusted odds ratio: 2.81), preeclampsia (AOR: 13.05), threatened preterm delivery (AOR: 3.62), and cesarean section (AOR: 3.31) in mothers of higher age. The odds of low birth weight (AOR: 2.56) and intensive care (AOR: 2.03) were significantly higher in older vs. younger mothers, while no significant associations were between maternal age and fetal macrosomia and congenital malformations.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering our results, it is important to educate women about the consequences of delayed childbearing and the need of continuous observation within prenatal care.

Association of Maternal History of Spontaneous Abortion and Stillbirth With Risk of Congenital Heart Disease in Offspring of Women With vs Without Type 2 Diabetes

IMPORTANCE

The associations of maternal history of spontaneous abortion (SA) and stillbirth with congenital heart disease (CHD) remain elusive.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the associations of maternal history of pregnancy loss with CHD in offspring and the role of maternal type 2 diabetes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This population-based cohort study included singleton live offspring born between January 1, 1977, and December 31, 2016, identified through Danish national health registries. Statistical analysis was performed from October 1, 2019, through September 1, 2021.

EXPOSURES

Maternal history of SA, with frequency varying from 1 or 2 to 3 or more episodes, and maternal history of single and multiple stillbirths.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Overall CHD identified by hospital diagnosis. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of CHD. Diabetes was evaluated as a potential confounder and a potential effect modifier.

RESULTS

Among 1 642 534 included offspring (mean [SD] age, 14.11 [8.39] years; 843 265 male [51.35%]), 246 669 (15.02%) were born to mothers with a history of SA and 9750 (0.59%) were born to mothers with a history of stillbirth. The HRs of CHD were 1.16 (95% CI, 1.13-1.20) for offspring with a maternal history of SA and 1.49 (95% CI, 1.32-1.68) for offspring with a maternal history of stillbirth. Significant dose-response associations were observed among offspring with a maternal history of 3 or more episodes of SA (HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.39-1.84) and those with maternal history of multiple stillbirths (HR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.63-4.65). If only inpatient CHD cases were included, the risk of CHD was higher than that found in the main analysis, with HRs of 1.24 (95% CI, 1.19-1.30) for maternal history of SA and 1.78 (95% CI, 1.51-2.11) for maternal history of stillbirth. The observed associations were strengthened by maternal prepregnancy type 2 diabetes (HR for maternal history of SA, 1.65 [95% CI, 1.37-1.97]; HR for maternal history of stillbirth, 1.74 [95% CI, 1.06-2.85]).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These findings suggest that offspring born to mothers with a previous SA or stillbirth, especially multiple episodes, or with prepregnancy type 2 diabetes were at a higher risk of being diagnosed with CHD. These findings may help identify women at increased risk in whom detailed fetal heart assessment may be cost-effective and highlight the importance of screening for type 2 diabetes in women of reproductive age.

Maternal and fetal safety of intravenous immunoglobulin in women with reproductive failure

PROBLEM

Intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG) is an emerging regimen for women with reproductive failures (RF) during- or pre-pregnancy who have aberrant cellular immune reactions. Studies investigating teratogenicity of IVIG have been limited. Herein, we evaluated the fetal teratogenicity of IVIG and IVIG-related obstetric complications.

METHOD OF STUDY

Women who used IVIG during pregnancy due to RF with cellular immune aberrances were enrolled from four medical centers in Korea. The pregnancy outcomes were collected.

RESULTS

A total of 370 RF women who used IVIG during their pregnancy were enrolled. Most of the patients started the IVIG therapy before 12 weeks of gestation and 229 women continued IVIG treatment beyond 12 weeks of gestation. The mean age of the subjects was 34.8 years and the mean total dosage of IVIG was 125.3 g. A total of 307 women had livebirths and six of them were twins. Of 301 singleton livebirths, obstetric complications were developed as follows: preterm births (12.0%), gestational diabetes (7.0%), preeclampsia (4.0%), placental abruption (1.3%), placenta previa (4.3%), and placenta accrete (1.7%). Total six cases (1.99%) had major fetal anomalies in livebirths. The incidence of birth defects is similar to those of the general population in Korea and the previous report in infertile women. No IVIG -related viral contamination was noted.

CONCLUSION

IVIG use during pregnancy did not increase obstetric complications and fetal teratogenicity. This study can be an evidence of maternal and fetal safety of IVIG administration during pregnancy.

Association Between Cleft Lip and/or Cleft Palate and Family History of Cancer: A Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

Cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL ± P) are among the most common congenital anomalies. Nevertheless, their etiologies remain poorly understood. Several studies have demonstrated increased rates of cancer among patients with CL ± P and their relatives, as well as increased risk of CL ± P among family members of cancer survivors. In addition, a number of possible genetic associations between cancer and CL ± P have been identified. However, these studies are limited by confounding factors that may be prevalent in these patients, such as tobacco exposure and perinatal complications.The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the association between family history of cancer and development of CL ± P in the child.

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted at the Cleft Hospital and the Bashir Hospital in Gujrat, Pakistan from December 2015 to December 2016. All new cases of CL ± P at the Cleft Hospital were included. Sociodemographically similar patients without congenital malformations at the Bashir Hospital served as controls. Risk factors associated with CL ± P were identified through bivariate analyses. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to calculate adjusted odds ratios of developing CL ± P.

RESULTS

There were 137 patients with CL ± P and 147 controls in the study. The following factors were statistically significantly associated with development of cleft: history of cancer in the family (P < 0.001), complications during pregnancy (P = 0.02), maternal hypertension during pregnancy (P = 0.01), mother not on any medications (P < 0.001), consanguineous marriage (parents are first or second cousins) (P = 0.03), lower socioeconomic status (P < 0.001), having a parent who smokes (P = 0.001), and history of miscarriage (P = 0.01). After adjustment for these variables, having a history of cancer in the family was independently associated with a 5.19 times increased odds of the child being born with CL ± P (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.57-17.03). Middle-class socioeconomic status (compared with lower) (odds ratio [OR], 0.36; 95% CI, 0.16-0.83), having a smoking parent (OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.05-4.28), and history of miscarriage (OR, 4.60; 95% CI, 1.21-17.54) were also statistically significantly associated with CL ± P within this model.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence for a relationship between CL ± P and cancer that has been adjusted for confounders traditionally associated with patients with CL ± P, thereby supporting the evidence of shared environmental and/or genetic etiologies.

Maternal reproductive history and the risk of congenital heart defects in offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Epidemiological studies have reported conflicting results on the association of congenital heart defect (CHD) risk in offspring with a maternal history of prior pregnancies and abortions, but no meta-analysis has been reported. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE from their inception to April 14, 2014, for relevant studies that assessed the association between maternal reproductive history and CHD risk. Two authors independently assessed eligibility and extracted data. Fixed-effects or random-effects models were used to calculate the pooled odds ratios (ORs). Among 1,599 references, 17 case-control studies and one nested case-control study were included in this meta-analysis. The summary OR for the ever versus nulligravidity was 1.18 (95% CI 1.03-1.34). A dose-response analysis also indicated a positive effect of maternal gravidity on CHD risk, and the summary OR for each increment in number of pregnancies was 1.13 (95% CI 1.08-1.18). A history of abortion was associated with a 24% higher risk of CHD, OR = 1.24 (95% CI 1.11-1.38). When stratified by abortion category, CHD risk increased by 18 and 58% with a history of spontaneous abortion and induced abortion, respectively. The summary OR for each increment of one abortion was 1.28 (95% CI 1.18-1.40). In summary, this study provides evidence that increased maternal gravidity was positively associated with a risk of CHDs in offspring. Meanwhile, our results demonstrate a positive association of any history of abortion with an increased risk of CHDs.

Maternal socioeconomic status and the risk of congenital heart defects in offspring: a meta-analysis of 33 studies

Background

We conducted this meta-analysis to address the open question of a possible association between maternal socioeconomic status and congenital heart defects (CHDs).

Methods

We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE from their inception to January 1, 2014 for case-control and cohort studies that assessed the association between maternal socioeconomic status and the risk of CHDs. Study-specific relative risk estimates were polled according to random-effect or fixed-effect models.

Results

From 3343 references, a total of 31 case-control studies and 2 cohort studies were enrolled in this meta-analysis, including more than 50,000 cases. We observed that maternal educational attainment, family income and maternal occupation were negatively associated with an 11% (pooled RR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.21), 5% (pooled RR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.09) and 51% (pooled RR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.24) increased risk of CHDs, respectively. In a subgroup analysis by geographic region, the results were inconsistent for the European region (RR = 1.29, 95% CI: 0.99–1.69) and USA/Canada region (RR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.16) in maternal educational attainment.

Conclusion

In summary, this meta-analysis suggests that a lower degree of maternal socioeconomic status is modestly associated with an increased risk of CHDs. However, further investigations are needed to confirm the association.