Maternal height and risk of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

The relationship between maternal height and gestational hypertensive disorders was examined in a cohort of Chinese gravidae managed in 1997-2013 to clarify the association between short stature with preeclampsia (PE) and gestational hypertension (GH).

Retrospective study of 87 290 gravidae categorized by their height into four quartile groups. The impact of short stature, defined as height in the lowest quartile, on incidence of PE and GH was studied in relation to the presence of risk factors. The independent role of short stature was determined by regression analysis.

The 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile values of height were 154 cm, 158 cm, and 161 cm respectively. The incidence of PE, but not GH, was inversely correlated with height (p = .025). Short stature altered the impact of parity status, advanced age, high body mass index, infant gender, and medical history, on incidence of PE but not GH. On regression analysis, short stature increased risk of PE (adjusted RR 1.134, 95%CI 1.005-1.279) but reduced GH (adjusted RR 0.836, 95%CI 0.718-0.974).

Maternal short stature should be defined according to distribution in a specific ethnic group, and it exerts a significant but opposite effect on the incidence of PE versus GH.