Am J Perinatol 2021; 38(01): 044-059
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1694731
Original Article

Risk of Severe Maternal Morbidity or Death in Relation to Prenatal Biochemical Screening: Population-Based Cohort Study

Eric J.M. Lentz
1   Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
,
Alison L. Park
2   Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Alec W.R. Langlois
3   Faculty of Arts and Science, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
,
Tianhua Huang
4   Genetics Program, North York General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
5   Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Wendy S. Meschino
4   Genetics Program, North York General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
6   Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Joel G. Ray
2   Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
7   Department of Medicine, Health Policy Management and Evaluation, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
8   Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
› Author Affiliations
Funding This work was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This study was also supported by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), which is funded by an annual grant from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC). The opinions, results, and conclusions reported in this paper are those of the authors and are independent of the funding sources. No endorsement by ICES or the Ontario MOHLTC is intended or should be inferred. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. All authors had full access to all of the data in the study and can take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to examine whether prenatal biochemical screening analytes are associated with an increased risk of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) or maternal mortality.

Study Design This population-based cohort study includes all women in Ontario, Canada, who underwent prenatal screening from 2001 to 2011. Increasing fifth percentiles of the multiple of the median (MoM) for alphafetoprotein (AFP), total human chorionic gonadotropin, unconjugated estriol (uE3), dimeric inhibin-A (DIA), and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A were evaluated. An abnormally high concentration (>95th percentile MoM) for each analyte, individually and combined, was also evaluated. The main outcome assessed was the adjusted relative risk (aRR) of SMM or maternal mortality from 20 weeks' gestation up to 26 weeks thereafter.

Results Among 748,972 pregnancies, 11,177 resulted in SMM or maternal mortality (1.5%). Except for uE3, the aRR of SMM or maternal mortality increased in association with increasing fifth percentiles of the MoM for all analytes. AFP (aRR: 2.10; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.97–2.25) and DIA (aRR: 2.33; 95% CI: 1.98–2.74) > 95th versus ≤ 5th percentile of the MoM were especially associated with SMM or death.

Conclusion Women with abnormally high concentrations of certain prenatal biochemical analytes may be at a higher risk of SMM or death in pregnancy or postpartum.

Note

Parts of this article are based on data and/or information compiled and provided by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). However, the analyses, conclusions, opinions, and statements expressed in the article are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of CIHI.


Authors' Contributions

J.G.R. and A.L.P. contributed to the study concept, analysis and interpretation of the data, drafting of the manuscript, manuscript revision, and approval of the final version. E.J.M.L. contributed to the drafting of the manuscript, analysis and interpretation of the data, manuscript revision, and approval of the final version. A.W.R.L., T.H., and W.S.M. contributed to the study concept, manuscript revision, and approval of the final version.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 23 January 2019

Accepted: 26 June 2019

Article published online:
14 August 2019

© 2020. Thieme. All rights reserved.

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