Endometriosis Associated With Obstetric Complications, Study Shows

Endometriosis is associated with obstetric complications according to a new study that analyzed almost 3 million women.

Key Points

Highlights: 

• There seems to be a strong association between endometriosis and obstetric complications.

Importance:

• These findings will inform clinical practice and pave the way for more research in the field of endometriosis and obstetric complications.

What’s done here:

• Researchers analyzed almost 3 million women in the National Inpatient Sample between 2016 and 2019.

Key results:

• Significant associations between endometriosis and placenta previa, placental abruption, postpartum hemorrhage, preeclampsia, amniotic fluid abnormality, preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, and multiple gestation.

Limitations:

• It is important to note that these findings show no causal link between endometriosis and obstetric complications.

Lay Summary

There is a significant association between endometriosis and obstetric complications, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 

“The present findings . . .may help inform clinical practice and future research,” the authors of the study said. “Further studies that use more detailed clinical data and longitudinal designs are needed to solidify the presented conclusions”.

To shed light on the possible link between endometriosis and adverse obstetric outcomes, a team of researchers from Saudi Arabia led by Dr. Saeed Baradwan of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Jeddah analyzed data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2016 to 2019. 

The team used the ICD-10 coding system to identify codes for endometriosis and obstetric outcomes. 

They analyzed a total of 2,854,149 women. Of these 4,006 women (0.14%) had endometriosis. 

Significant associations were found between endometriosis and placenta previa, placental abruption, postpartum hemorrhage, preeclampsia, amniotic fluid abnormality, preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, and multiple gestation by multivariate analysis.

The researchers said that their findings “provide important insights into the potential relationship between endometriosis and various adverse obstetric outcomes”.

Research Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37976766/