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Updated: Feb 7, 2026
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Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus
Published on: December 5, 2015
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Unplanned pregnancy and severe maternal morbidity
Alice Abernathy1, Miatta Goba2, Markolline Forkpa3
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Fertility and Sterility
|February 5, 2026
Summary
Unplanned pregnancy was not linked to severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in a study of over 9,500 births. Further research is needed to explore nuanced pregnancy planning behaviors in high-risk populations.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Maternal Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) poses a significant threat to maternal health.
- Understanding factors contributing to SMM, such as pregnancy planning, is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between unplanned pregnancy and the occurrence of severe maternal morbidity (SMM).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of singleton deliveries between January 2019 and December 2019.
- Unplanned pregnancy self-reported at conception; SMM identified using CDC methodology.
- Statistical analyses included complete case analysis, inverse probability weighting, and multiple imputation to assess associations, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- The study included 9,592 births, with 32.8% of patients reporting unplanned pregnancies.
- Unplanned pregnancy was not significantly associated with SMM, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 0.80 (95% CI 0.60-1.09).
- This lack of association persisted across various statistical methods for handling missing data and after covariate adjustment.
Conclusions:
- In this cohort, unplanned pregnancy did not demonstrate a statistically significant association with severe maternal morbidity.
- Future research should explore more detailed measures of pregnancy planning and its relationship with SMM, particularly in high-risk groups.
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