Childhood Trauma Increases Risk Of Pregnancy Complications: Study

Childhood trauma such as abuse, emotional neglect, and exposure to domestic violence may increase a woman’s risk of complications in pregnancy, according to a recent pooled data analysis using the available evidence published by the open access journal BMJ Open.

The study revealed that the risks of pregnancy-related complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and giving birth to underweight or premature babies may be significantly higher in women who have experienced childhood trauma.

Childhood Trauma Causes Pregnancy Complications

While previous research suggested that early life trauma can have a major negative impact on an adult’s health, it wasn’t clear if it would extend to pregnancy. To explore this further, researchers reviewed 32 relevant studies published between 1994 and 2022 and discovered that three out of four were long-term studies, with the remainder being observational or comparative (case-control) studies.

19, which constituted the majority of the studies, were performed in the USA, three from Canada, six from Europe, and four from other regions. The participants ranged from 48 to 111,556. The pooled data from 21 studies revealed that women who had experienced childhood trauma were 37% more likely to have pregnancy complications compared to those who hadn’t. These women were also 31% more likely to give birth to premature or underweight babies.

An in-depth analysis of the pooled data showed that childhood trauma was associated with a 39% increased risk of pregnancy-related diabetes, a 59% increased risk of antenatal depression, a 27% increased risk of giving birth to an underweight baby, and a 41% increased risk of preterm delivery.

The researchers suggested that there could be several direct and indirect explanations for the discoveries. They pointed out that childhood trauma could modify stress regulations, signal pathways, and the functioning of the immune system. It might also alter the brain structure or increase the speed of cellular ageing.

According to previously published research, childhood trauma is associated with a higher probability of risky behaviour in adulthood, such as physical inactivity, substance abuse, poor diet, etc., which may influence the risk of pregnancy complications.

The researchers also noted that most of the studies were from high-income Western countries, so the findings cannot be generalised. They also said they weren’t able to assess the potential impact of different types of childhood trauma.

However, the researchers concluded that the results of the study concluded that childhood trauma increased the risk of pregnancy-related complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The study suggested that the identification of these women and personalising their care may provide an opportunity to improve the mother's and child’s mental and physical health. It also emphasised the importance of preventing childhood trauma in children to reduce immediate impacts and intergenerational transmission.

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