Women with a first normal weight offspring and a small second offspring have increased risk of cardiovascular mortality

A recent study conducted by the University of Bergen has shown that considering information about the birth weight of a woman’s subsequent offspring can provide valuable insights into her long-term risk of dying from cardiovascular causes. This research highlights the potential significance of including such information for assessing a woman’s health outcomes in relation to cardiovascular health.

The current understanding of the link between offspring birthweight and long-term maternal cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality often focuses on the birthweight of the first-born child, neglecting subsequent births experienced by women.

Yeneabeba Sima, the first author of the recently published article in the American Journal of Epidemiology, points out that the potential relationships between offspring birthweight and long-term maternal cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality have received less attention, particularly among women who have given birth at full term.

The researchers conducted their study by analyzing linked data from the Medical Birth Registry and Cause of Death Registry. They focused on evaluating the long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality based on patterns of offspring birthweight among women who had term deliveries, whether they were spontaneous or initiated by clinicians. The study spanned the period from 1967 to 2020.

The study’s findings indicate that women who had a normal-weight firstborn child followed by a small second child had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. Conversely, if the second child had a larger birthweight, the women had a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality. This suggests that the birthweight patterns of subsequent children may play a role in the long-term cardiovascular health of mothers.

This was true for women with both spontaneous and clinician-initiated term deliveries.

“Changes in offspring birthweight quartiles from first to second pregnancy offer important information on heterogeneity in women’s future risk of CVD death”, the researcher concludes.