BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (Apr 2023)

Longitudinal study of the relationship between number of prior miscarriages or stillbirths and changes in quality of life of pregnant women: the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)

  • Kaori Futakawa,
  • Kenta Matsumura,
  • Akiko Tsuchida,
  • Mizuho Konishi,
  • Hatoko Sasaki,
  • Hidetoshi Mezawa,
  • Kiwako Yamamoto–Hanada,
  • Hidekuni Inadera,
  • Tomomi Hasegawa,
  • the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-05578-6
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 23, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Abstract Background Although a history of miscarriage or stillbirth has been reported to negatively affect quality of life (QOL) during the subsequent pregnancy, the association between the number of previous miscarriages or stillbirths and QOL, as well as trends in QOL during pregnancy, has not been clarified. This study sought to determine this association during early and mid- to late pregnancy. Methods Data from 82,013 pregnant women who participated in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) from January 2011 to March 2014 were analyzed. In early and mid/late pregnancy, participants completed questionnaires and QOL was assessed using the Physical and Mental Component Summary (PCS and MCS, respectively) scores from the 8-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-8). The pregnant women were divided into four groups according to number of previous miscarriages or stillbirths (0, 1, 2, and ≥ 3), and the PCS and MCS scores in early pregnancy and mid/late pregnancy were compared between group 0 and groups 1, 2, and ≥ 3. Generalized linear mixed models were used for analysis. Results PCS score in early pregnancy was lower in group 1 (β = − 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] − 0.42 to − 0.15), group 2 (β = − 0.45, 95% CI − 0.73 to − 0.18), and group ≥ 3 (β = − 0.87, 95% CI − 1.39 to − 0.35) than in group 0. Group 1 and group ≥ 3 showed a trend for increased PCS score during pregnancy (β = 0.22, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.37 and β = 0.75, 95% CI 0.18 to 1.33, respectively) compared with group 0. Conclusions PCS score in early pregnancy was lower with a more frequent history of miscarriage or stillbirth. However, in terms of changes in QOL during pregnancy, pregnant women with a history of miscarriage or stillbirth showed greater increases in PCS score during mid/late pregnancy than pregnant women with no history of miscarriage or stillbirth.

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