Having a high blood pressure before becoming pregnant raises a woman’s risk of suffering a miscarriage by nearly 20 percent, new research suggests.
Those with blood-pressure readings above the healthy score of 80mmHg are more likely to lose their pregnancies, a US study found.
The risk rises up to 18 percent for every 10mmHg blood pressure increase, the research adds.
Researchers conclude the findings highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle, via diet and exercise, to reduce women’s blood pressures and subsequent miscarriage risks.
Hypertension occurs when blood exerts a higher than normal pressure against vessel walls.
Previous research suggests that when high blood pressure occurs during pregnancy, babies can be starved of oxygen and nutrients.
Miscarriages affect between 15 and 20 percent of pregnancies in the US. They are defined as losing babies less than 20 weeks into their gestation.
Having a high blood pressure before becoming pregnant raises a woman’s risk of suffering a miscarriage by nearly 20 percent, new research suggests (stock)
DOES WI-FI INCREASE PREGNANT WOMEN’S RISK OF HAVING A MISCARRIAGE?
Wi-fi increases pregnant women’s risk of suffering a miscarriage by nearly 50 percent, research suggested in December 2017.
Magnetic field (MF) non-ionizing radiation, which is also given off by mobile phones, power lines and cell towers, has previously been found to put a stress on the body, leading to genetic damage that can cause pregnant women to miscarry.
Those exposed to the highest levels of MF radiation are 48 percent more likely to lose their baby than women exposed to the lowest amounts, the study found.
MF radiation, which everyone is exposed to at some extent, has previously been linked to cancer and has been recommended by the World Health Organization to be studied for its effect on pregnancies.
Researchers, from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, analysed 913 pregnant women at varying stages of their gestation periods.
Some of the study’s participants had previously suffered at least one miscarriage.
All of the participants carried an EMDEX Lite meter, which measures MF-radiation exposure, for 24 hours on a typical day.
Their pregnancy outcomes were followed for the duration of their gestation periods.
results further suggest among pregnant women exposed to the highest levels of MF radiation, 24. 2 percent go on to have a miscarriage compared to 10. 4 per cent of those exposed to the lowest amounts.
How the research was carried out
Researchers from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Maryland analysed women who took part in a study assessing the affects of a daily low-dose of aspirin on their miscarriage risks.
The study enrolled 1,228 women aged between 18 and 40 years old who were trying to become pregnant after at least one previous miscarriage.
Blood-pressure readings were taken from the women before they became pregnant and four weeks into their gestation periods.
Around 25 percent of the participants had blood-pressure readings above 80mmHg. Below 80 is considered healthy.
The findings were published in the journal Hypertension.
Test suggests the risk of a miscarriage
This comes after research released in July last year suggested a blood test could reveal the likelihood of a pregnancy ending in miscarriage.
The test measures levels of a key hormone that is responsible for maintaining the embryo’s structure and is involved in the release of further chemicals that are critical for a healthy pregnancy.
When the test is taken 15 days into a pregnancy, hormone levels provide an accurate indication of whether the foetus will reach its eight-week milestone, according to researchers from the Glasgow Centre for Reproductive Medicine.
The £40 ($56) procedure was designed for women undergoing IVF but may be adapted for those conceiving naturally, they add.
Experts believe the test will help couples emotionally prepare themselves for the potential loss of a pregnancy.
