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Influence of the maternal birth status on offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Prakesh S Shah1, Vibhuti Shah,

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada. pshah@mtsinai.on.ca

Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica
|November 18, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Maternal history of low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), or small-for-gestational age (SGA) significantly increases the risk of these same conditions in their infants. This highlights the importance of considering maternal birth status in prenatal care risk assessments.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Perinatal Epidemiology
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

  • Maternal birth outcomes like low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small-for-gestational age (SGA) are suspected predictors of similar infant outcomes.
  • Understanding intergenerational transmission of birth status is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and quantify the association between maternal LBW, PTB, or SGA and the risk of infant LBW, PTB, or SGA.
  • To synthesize evidence on the predictive value of maternal birth status for adverse infant birth outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic literature search was conducted across Medline, Embase, and CINAHL, including reference lists.
  • Twenty-two studies with low to moderate risk of bias were included, assessing associations between maternal and infant birth status.
  • Random effects models were used to calculate summary odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) from extracted unadjusted data.

Main Results:

  • Maternal LBW was associated with increased odds of infant LBW (OR 2.23), PTB (OR 1.57), and SGA (OR 1.83).
  • Maternal PTB was linked to higher odds of infant PTB (OR 1.41) and SGA (OR 1.33).
  • Maternal SGA was associated with increased odds of infant PTB (OR 1.58) and SGA (OR 2.64).

Conclusions:

  • Maternal LBW, PTB, and SGA status are significant risk factors for adverse birth outcomes in their offspring.
  • Incorporating maternal birth status into risk assessments is recommended for individualized pregnancy care planning.
Abstract

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