Pregnancy risks upped in women with intellectual disability

(HealthDay)—Pregnant women with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at increased risk for adverse maternal and offspring outcomes, according to a study published in the April issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Hilary K. Brown, Ph.D., from the University of Toronto, and colleagues compared the risk for adverse maternal and offspring outcomes between 3,932 women with intellectual and developmental disabilities and 382,774 women without such disabilities. Health administrative data and disability income support were used to identify women with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The researchers found that women with intellectual and developmental disabilities had increased risks for preeclampsia (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 1.47) and venous thromboembolism (aRR, 1.60). Their offspring showed increased risks for preterm birth (aRR, 1.63) and small for gestational age (aRR, 1.35).

"These findings suggest that there is a need to address modifiable risk factors for adverse outcomes among women with intellectual and developmental disabilities prior to and during pregnancy," the authors write.