Comparison of pregnancy complications in unintended and intended pregnancy: A prospective follow-up study

Unintended pregnancy, as a pregnancy that is mistimed, unplanned or unwanted at the time of conception, is a common experience worldwide that puts mothers at risk for mental stress and its pregnancy complications. The aim of this study was to compare three common pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia, preterm labor, and low birth weight, between unintended and intended pregnancies in Sabzevar, northeast Iran in 2019.

This prospective follow-up study was conducted on 200 pregnant women (100 intended and 100 unintended pregnancies) who were between 18 and 35 years old and were referred for delivery to Shahidan Mobini Hospital, Sabzevar, Iran. Data were collected using a questionnaire and the subjects were recruited based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Preeclampsia, preterm labor, and low birth weight were recorded after delivery and were statistically analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS software) version 22 at the statistical significance of <0.05.

The mean age and gravidity was significantly higher in the unintended pregnancy group compared to intended pregnancy group. The most common complication overall was low birth weight (25% of unintended and 16% of the intended pregnancies) followed by preterm labor (12% of unintended and 11% of intended pregnancies) and preeclampsia (5% of unintended and 1% of intended pregnancies). No significant relationship was found between the time of delivery and type of pregnancy (P = 0.50).

The findings of this study indicated that unintended pregnancy can be a risk factor for pregnancy complications including preeclampsia and low birth weight and that sophisticated monitoring should be performed for better management of these complications.