Study Finds ICU Admittance Increases Stillbirth Rate 12-Fold for Pregnant Women
The study revealed that mothers who were older, more likely to be obese, had comorbidities, and were from Africa, Asia, or the Middle East.
Research has shown that women admitted to ICUs during pregnancy have a 12-times higher chance of experiencing stillbirths and their infants are at an increased risk of requiring neonatal care.
A study conducted by the University of Edinburgh discovered that these women also faced significant risks, such as a twofold increase in hospital readmissions within six weeks after childbirth and a 40-fold rise in mortality within a year.
The findings indicated that these women were older, more likely to originate from Africa, Asia, or the Middle East, and resided in deprived areas.
The researchers noted that these women were more prone to obesity or severe obesity and had a higher prevalence of comorbidities.
The authors highlighted that women facing critical illness during pregnancy and the post-childbirth period are at a heightened risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes, such as maternal death, stillbirth, and hospital readmission, compared to those not admitted to critical care.
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They concluded that a proactive approach to post-partum care for women who experienced critical illness during pregnancy may be necessary, suggesting that aspects of their care could be better managed by ICU specialists.
40-Times Higher Risk of Death
The report emphasized that women admitted to intensive care had a 40-fold elevated risk of death within a year. The most common cause of death within 42 days post-childbirth was cardiovascular diseases, accounting for 34.1% of fatalities.
The researchers also identified that over half (53.8%) of these ICU women required medical ventilation.
Furthermore, one-year hospital readmission was nearly three times higher (24.5%) among women admitted to ICU compared to non-ICU mothers (8.9%).
ICU admissions included women both before and after delivery, with the most frequent reason being post-pregnancy hemorrhaging (15.5%).
Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia were the second most common reasons for ICU admission, at 9.2%.
Higher Level of Neonatal Care for Babies
The study revealed that women admitted to ICU during pregnancy or on the delivery date had a higher risk of stillbirth compared to those not admitted. One in 16 women admitted to intensive care experienced stillbirth, compared to one in 167 non-admitted women.
Infants born to women who required ICU admission were more likely to necessitate higher levels of neonatal care after birth.
Overall, maternal ICU admission was associated with a 13-fold increase in the odds of neonatal critical care admission.
Among the ICU mothers, 40.1% of babies needed special care compared to 7.2% of non-ICU mothers. Conversely, 39.2% of babies born to ICU mothers did not require any form of critical care, in comparison to 84% of non-ICU mothers.
Nazir Lone, a professor at the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute, stated: “Being admitted to intensive care can be a traumatic experience for many patients and their families.
“When this happens during or shortly after pregnancy, the impact on a woman, her baby, and family can be devastating.
“Our study shows that women admitted to intensive care experience more health problems during the year after pregnancy.”
Mr. Lone recommended that maternity and critical care services should develop a more integrated and proactive approach to identify and support women with ongoing care needs after experiencing critical illness.
PA Media contributed to this report.
