Health of children born to mothers who had preeclampsia: a population-based cohort study

Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Sep;201(3):269.e1-269.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2009.06.060.

Abstract

Objective: We assessed whether preeclampsia correlates with the long-term postnatal health of the offspring.

Study design: We conducted a population-based cohort study of 1,618,481 singletons born in Denmark (1978-2004) with up to 27 years of follow-up. We used Cox regression to estimate the associations between preeclampsia and long-term health outcomes of the offspring.

Results: Children born at term exposed to preeclampsia had an increased risk of a variety of diseases, such as endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases (incidence rate ratio, 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-1.7), and diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs (incidence rate ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-1.8). Children born preterm exposed to preeclampsia had a similar pattern of hospitalizations compared with the children born preterm unexposed to preeclampsia, although they had a decreased risk of cerebral palsy (incidence rate ratio, 0.7; 95% confidence interval, 0.6-0.9).

Conclusion: Preeclampsia was associated with an increased risk of being hospitalized for a number of diseases, especially in the children born at term.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Denmark / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Gestational Age
  • Health Status
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Pre-Eclampsia / epidemiology*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Outcome / epidemiology*
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / epidemiology*
  • Risk Assessment