An Undiscovered Link Between Low Birthweight And a Pregnancy Complication Found

Preeclampsia risk found to e increased in Women those who were born small or had a low Birthweight discovers a new study. Women who were born with low birth weight are at increased risk of pregnancy complications, according to a new Obesity study. The findings suggest that women who were born small may have been affected by unfavorable intrauterine conditions, and the physiological demands of pregnancy may act as a "second hit" leading to pregnancy complications.

In the study of 5,336 women, those who reported a birth weight under 2500g had a 1.7 times higher risk of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy compared with those who had a birth weight of 3000-3499g.

Women who reported a birthweight of 3500- 3999g or a birth weight of 4000g or higher had a 40 percent reduced risk of preeclampsia compared with the control group.

Also, women who reported a low birth weight were at increased risk of developing gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes compared with women who had a normal birthweight.

Risks were especially high for women who had a low birthweight but subsequently became overweight or obese.

"Further studies assessing the influence of modifiable factors including diet and exercise on the relationship between low birth weight and pregnancy complications may yield important results on whether modifiable lifestyle factors could reduce the risk of pregnancy complications among those born small," said lead author Dr. Prabha Andraweera, of The University of Adelaide, in Australia.

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Source-Eurekalert