Cumulative Physiologic Dysfunction and Pregnancy: Characterization and Association with Birth Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Physiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Chronic stress can impact pregnancy outcomes.
• Cumulative physiologic dysfunction (CPD) is a potential measure of chronic stress effects.
• Understanding CPD's role in pregnancy is crucial for maternal and infant health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define and characterize CPD during pregnancy.
• To assess the association between CPD and gestational age.
• To examine the relationship between CPD and birth weight.

Main Methods:

• Women at or before 28 weeks gestation were enrolled.
• CPD parameters included cholesterol, IL-6, hs-CRP, blood pressure, BMI, glucose tolerance, and urinary albumin.
• Linear regression analysis was used to assess associations with birth weight and gestational age (N=111).

Main Results:

• CPD scores ranged from 0 to 6, with a mean of 2.09.
• The average birth weight was 3397g and mean gestational age was 39.64 weeks.
• No significant association was found between CPD and birth weight (p=0.42) or gestational age (p=0.44).

Conclusions:

• CPD measured after 28 weeks of gestation did not correlate with birth weight or gestational age.
• The current CPD scoring requires refinement for pregnancy applications.
• Future research should consider component parameters and clinical cut-points for improved risk scoring.