Pregnancy Complications and Development of Chronic Disease in Later Life

The majority of pregnancy-related health issues seem to go away at delivery or very soon after. Preterm labour, placental abruption, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes are common examples. It is well established that women who experience these kinds of issues throughout their pregnancies are more likely to experience similar issues in subsequent pregnancies. Pregnancy puts a strain on a woman's body, it can reveal underlying predispositions to disease that would otherwise go undetected for years, and this association between various pregnancy complications and the development of chronic disease in later life has gained recognition. However, despite the growing body of data, healthcare providers are not aware of these risks.