FRIDAY, Dec. 3, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Pregnant people with sickle cell trait (SCT) have increased risk of stillbirth, according to a study published online Nov. 24 in JAMA Network Open.
Silvia P. Canelón, Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined the potential association between SCT and stillbirth outcome in a retrospective cohort study including data on deliveries occurring between Jan. 1, 2010, and Aug. 15, 2017, at four academic medical centers. The population included 2,482 deliveries among 1,904 patients with SCT, but not sickle cell disease (SCD), and 215 deliveries among 164 patients with SCD, from within a cohort of 50,560 patients with 63,334 deliveries.
The researchers found that SCT was associated with increased risk of stillbirth in the fully adjusted model (adjusted odds ratio, 8.94). In the fully adjusted analysis, patients with SCD had a higher risk of stillbirth compared to those without SCD (adjusted odds ratio, 26.40). In addition, multiple gestation was associated with increased risk of stillbirth in the fully adjusted model (adjusted odds ratio, 4.68).
“These results underscore the need for (1) clear pregnancy care guidance for patients with SCT and (2) systemic support for comprehensive coordinated care for SCT as well as SCD populations,” the authors write.
Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
