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Change in paternity and select perinatal outcomes: causal or confounded?
G Bandoli1, S Lindsay, D L Johnson
1Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA. gretchen.bandoli@gmail.com
Summary
Paternity change is linked to increased risks of pre-eclampsia and delivering a small for gestational age (SGA) infant. These associations persist even after accounting for other maternal and social risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Maternal and Child Health
- Perinatal Epidemiology
- Social Determinants of Health
Background:
- Paternity change, defined as a change in a woman's partner during pregnancy, has been anecdotally linked to adverse perinatal outcomes.
- Understanding potential confounding factors is crucial for accurately assessing the relationship between paternity change and pregnancy complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether social, behavioral, and maternal characteristics confound the association between paternity change and adverse perinatal outcomes.
- To determine if risk factors modify the relationship between paternity change and pre-eclampsia, small for gestational age (SGA) infant, and pre-term delivery.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 1,409 women was analyzed.
- Multivariate logistic regression was employed to adjust for confounding variables and assess the impact of paternity change on perinatal outcomes.
Main Results:
- Women experiencing paternity change were more likely to have confounding risk factors.
- Paternity change was significantly associated with a 2.75-fold increased risk of pre-eclampsia.
- Paternity change was significantly associated with a 2.25-fold increased risk of delivering an SGA infant.
Conclusions:
- Paternity change remains a significant independent risk factor for pre-eclampsia and delivering an SGA infant.
- The findings highlight the importance of considering relationship dynamics in perinatal health research.
- Further research into the mechanisms underlying these associations is warranted.
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