Complications can be twice as high during pregnancy in a woman born preterm. In a woman born at term, complications affect one in 10 pregnancies. While in a woman born before 32 weeks, these complications (Gestational Diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia) affect one in five pregnancies.
It is a Canadian study which publishes these figures and which shows that being born prematurely, therefore with a lower birth weight, leads to complications 30 years later.
For once, we will not blame the researchers for having contented themselves with studying the case of twenty patients before drawing conclusions! To achieve these results, researchers at the University of Montreal looked at the birth records of 7,405 women born prematurely and those of 16,714 women born at term between 1976 and 1995 in Quebec.
Of these women born prematurely, 554 were born less than 32 weeks gestation and 6,851 others were born after 32 to 36 weeks. And the study shows that the risk of complications increases in proportion to the level of prematurity: this risk is indeed greater in women born at 7 months of pregnancy compared to those born at 8 months.
However, as pointed out by Dr. Nuyt, who led the study published in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association, this type of observational study makes it possible to identify a new risk factor but does not establish a causality link. In other words, even if you were born prematurely, you may still have a worry-free pregnancy.
“Women should obviously not be afraid of get pregnant. The important thing is to be informed, and to ensure that the healthcare professional who takes care of us is also informed, ”adds the doctor.
