Preterm babies put mothers’ heart health at risk – healthcare-in-europe.com

Report on Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Risk in Postpartum Mothers

A recent study contributes significantly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The research focuses on identifying long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks in mothers, directly supporting Target 3.4, which seeks to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases.

Study Objectives and Scope

The investigation, conducted on a cohort of Norwegian mothers, examined the risk of mortality from stroke, heart attack, and peripheral arterial disease. The study’s primary objective was to analyze how this risk varies based on specific outcomes of a mother’s first pregnancy. This aligns with SDG 3 by providing critical data for preventative healthcare strategies for women.

• History of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (HDP)
• Incidence of preterm birth
• Infant size for gestational age

Key Findings and Contribution to SDG 3.4

The study’s findings provide crucial insights for achieving SDG 3.4 by identifying a previously under-recognized high-risk demographic for targeted health interventions. A novel aspect of this research was its inclusion of mothers with large-for-gestational-age infants, a group often overlooked in previous literature.

1. General Trend: For mothers with term deliveries or normotensive preterm deliveries, the risk of CVD mortality decreased as infant size increased.
2. Critical Exception: A contradictory and high-risk trend was observed in mothers who experienced preterm HDP. This group demonstrated the highest risk of CVD mortality when delivering an infant of above-average size.
3. Gradual Risk Increase: The elevated risk for the preterm HDP group was not confined to mothers with extremely large infants but appeared to increase gradually, beginning from infants below the mean birthweight.

Analysis and Implications for SDG 3.1

The research provides a plausible explanation for these findings, which has direct implications for long-term maternal health and, by extension, SDG Target 3.1 (reduce the global maternal mortality ratio). Understanding and mitigating long-term health risks are integral to comprehensive maternal care.

• Underlying Risk Factors: It is suggested that mothers of large-for-gestational-age infants often have pre-existing cardiometabolic risk factors.
• Associated Conditions: These conditions, such as gestational diabetes and obesity, make a higher long-term risk of CVD plausible.
• Call for Further Research: Further investigation is required to clarify the underlying mechanisms behind HDP and its long-term impact on maternal health, reinforcing the goals of SDG 3.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed in the Article

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • The article’s core focus is on health, specifically investigating the long-term health outcomes for mothers after pregnancy. It directly addresses the risk of death from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is a central component of SDG 3. The research discussed aims to understand and identify risk factors (“underlying cardiometabolic risk factors such as gestational diabetes or obesity”) to improve maternal health beyond the immediate postpartum period.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. Target 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.

   • Although the article discusses mortality risk after pregnancy rather than during childbirth, it is directly relevant to this target. It examines how pregnancy complications, specifically Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (HDP), contribute to a mother’s long-term risk of death. Understanding and mitigating these long-term risks are crucial for reducing overall maternal mortality and ensuring the long-term health of mothers. The study’s focus on “risk of death due to stroke, heart attack, and peripheral arterial disease in Norwegian mothers” based on their pregnancy history connects directly to maternal well-being and survival.

2. Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

   • This target is explicitly addressed. The article investigates premature mortality from specific NCDs, stating the study examined the “risk of death due to stroke, heart attack, and peripheral arterial disease.” These are all cardiovascular diseases, a major category of NCDs. Furthermore, it identifies other NCDs like “gestational diabetes or obesity” as underlying risk factors. The research contributes to the “prevention” aspect of this target by identifying a high-risk group (mothers with preterm HDP and larger infants) that was previously “overlooked in much of the previous literature.”

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Indicators related to Target 3.1 (Reduce maternal mortality)

   • Prevalence of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (HDP): The article identifies HDP as a primary factor influencing long-term CVD risk. Tracking the prevalence of HDP would be an indicator of the population’s underlying risk.
   • Rate of preterm births: This is another key variable the study examined, differentiating between “mothers with term delivery or normotensive preterm.” Monitoring this rate is relevant to assessing maternal and infant health risks.

2. Indicators related to Target 3.4 (Reduce premature mortality from NCDs)

   • Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease: This is a direct indicator. The study’s entire purpose is to investigate the “risk of death due to stroke, heart attack, and peripheral arterial disease,” which is a measure of mortality from CVD within a specific population (mothers).
   • Prevalence of obesity: The article explicitly mentions obesity as one of the “underlying cardiometabolic risk factors” contributing to the increased risk of CVD in mothers.
   • Prevalence of gestational diabetes: Similar to obesity, gestational diabetes is cited in the article as a key underlying risk factor that makes a “higher risk of CVD plausible.”

Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: healthcare-in-europe.com