Pre-pregnancy high-risk factors at first antenatal visit: how predictive are these of pregnancy outcomes?

To determine relationships between pre-pregnancy risk factors at first antenatal visit booking and pregnancy outcomes.

This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study involving women admitted for singleton delivery from July 1 until October 31 (3 months), 2013, at nine major maternity clinics in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. All women were checked for hereditary, community, and personal medical/surgical risk situations and mother/infant problems in previous pregnancies. Maternal and perinatal complications related to current/just-terminated pregnancy were analyzed according to pre-pregnancy risk factors in order to establish their prediction concerning maternal and perinatal complications related to current/just-terminated pregnancy (odds ratios). Results are given with 95% confidence intervals, and P<0.05 was considered significant.

The study sample comprised 2,086 women. Primiparity (36.5%), single relationship status (26.4%), and maternal age ≥35 years (18.3%) were the most important non-pathologic risk factors, while arterial hypertension in family (34.3%), previous miscarriage (33.2%), overweight/obesity (21.9%), diabetes in family (21.1%), previous cesarean section (15.7%), previous postpartum hemorrhage (13.1%), low birth weight (10%), previous macrosomia (10%), and previous premature rupture of membranes (6.2%) predominated among pathologic risk factors. Major adverse outcomes recurred in some women, with recurrence rates of 21/37 (57%), 111/208 (53%), 74/208 (36%), 191/598 (32%), 132/466 (28%), 24/130 (18%), and 4/65 (6%) for prematurity, low birth weight, macrosomia, preeclampsia/eclampsia, cesarean section, premature rupture of membranes, and stillbirth, respectively. Outcomes that were significantly influenced by non-pathologic risk factors were also significantly influenced by pathologic risk factors.

Pregnancy adverse outcomes are strongly influenced by either non-pathologic or pathologic pre-pregnancy risk factors at first antenatal visit booking. The recurrence potential of complications is one reason to establish the predictability and preventability of morbidity such that the most appropriate referrals and best options throughout the pregnancy can be determined.