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Hyperemesis Gravidarum Ups Obstetric Risks


 

WASHINGTON — Women who experienced hyperemesis gravidarum had a significantly increased risk of preeclampsia, compared with controls, wrote Michele Soltis, M.D., and colleagues in a poster presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine.

Hyperemesis gravidarum was associated with several obstetric complications in a retrospective study of singleton pregnancies, reported Dr. Soltis of Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, and her associates.

In this retrospective study, the investigators compared 4,808 women hospitalized for hyperemesis gravidarum with 9,616 controls and calculated the relative risks for certain obstetric outcomes.

Women with hyperemesis gravidarum had relative risks of 1.3 for preeclampsia, 1.3 for infant birth weight less than 2,500 g, and 2.1 for premature deliveries before 28 weeks' gestation. The relative risk of premature delivery at 28-32 weeks or at 33-36 weeks was 1.5.

In addition, hyperemesis gravidarum was associated with a longer hospital stay after both vaginal and cesarean deliveries.

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