Problems During Pregnancy Can Have Long Term Effects on a Woman’s Health
Pregnancy problems such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and preterm delivery are usually viewed as short-term concerns that resolve once the baby arrives. A growing body of research shows that these complications can also offer an early look at a woman’s future heart and metabolic health. The encouraging news is that this knowledge gives women and their OBGYN a valuable opportunity to protect long-term health, beginning during pregnancy and continuing for decades afterward.
Top Detroit area OBGYN Dr. Chadi Haddad and certified nurse midwife Lucy Schoemer, DNP help expectant mothers maintain healthy pregnancies, so they can stay well to raise their children and enjoy many healthy years ahead.
Landmark Study Links Pregnancy Problems to Lifelong Health
In 2024, JAMA Internal Medicine published one of the largest studies ever to examine how pregnancy problems relate to a woman’s long-term survival. Researchers analyzed national health records for more than 2.1 million women in Sweden who gave birth between 1973 and 2015, following some of them for as long as 46 years.
The study focused on five common complications: preterm delivery, delivering a baby who is small for gestational age, preeclampsia, other high blood pressure disorders of pregnancy and gestational diabetes. Each one was linked to a higher risk of death from any cause in the decades that followed. Compared with women who did not have the complication, mortality risk was about 52 percent higher after gestational diabetes, 41 percent higher after preterm delivery, 30 percent higher after delivering a small-for-gestational-age baby, 27 percent higher after other hypertensive disorders and 13 percent higher after preeclampsia. Women who experienced more than one of these complications faced an even greater risk.
Heart disease, respiratory disease and diabetes were among the leading causes of death. For most of the complications studied, the elevated risk was still present 30 to 46 years after delivery. The researchers concluded that pregnancy problems should be recognized as long-term risk factors for women and that affected mothers would benefit from early preventive care and ongoing follow-up.
Why Pregnancy Problems Offer a Window Into Future Health
Pregnancy places extraordinary demands on the body. Blood volume rises by nearly 50 percent, the heart works harder and the body naturally becomes more resistant to insulin to nourish the growing baby. Many physicians describe pregnancy as a natural stress test, because it can reveal tendencies toward high blood pressure or blood sugar problems years before they would otherwise appear.
Complications such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes share several underlying factors with heart disease and type 2 diabetes, including blood vessel health, inflammation and the way the body processes glucose. Viewed this way, a pregnancy complication does not determine a woman’s future. Instead, it provides an early signal that allows her and her OBGYN to take action long before chronic disease has a chance to develop.
Most women who experience a complication go on to live long, healthy lives, and these findings describe patterns across large populations rather than predicting any one woman’s outcome. Lucy Schoemer, DNP, a certified nurse midwife serving the Detroit area, helps patients understand what their personal history means and how to use that information to their advantage.
Healthy Habits That Help Reduce Pregnancy Problems
Not every pregnancy problem can be prevented, and a complication is never a sign that a mother did something wrong. Many steps can still lower risk and support a healthier pregnancy. Ideally, care begins before conception with a preconception visit to review medical history, manage existing conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes and start a prenatal vitamin with folic acid.
During pregnancy, regular prenatal appointments, a balanced diet, appropriate weight gain, physical activity approved by an OBGYN and avoiding tobacco and alcohol all contribute to healthier outcomes for mother and baby. For women at high risk of preeclampsia, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends daily low-dose aspirin beginning after 12 weeks of pregnancy, a simple measure that can help lower that risk.
Dr. Chadi Haddad, a top OBGYN in the Detroit area, tailors prenatal care to each woman’s health history, identifying risk factors early and creating a plan that supports a healthy pregnancy from the first visit through delivery.
Early Detection of Pregnancy Problems Makes a Difference
Routine prenatal care is designed to catch complications early, when they are most manageable. Blood pressure is checked at every visit, urine may be screened for protein, and glucose screening is typically performed between 24 and 28 weeks to detect gestational diabetes. Ultrasound and fundal height measurements track the baby’s growth, which helps identify a baby who may be smaller than expected.
When a complication is identified, careful management can protect both mother and baby. Gestational diabetes can often be controlled through nutrition changes, physical activity and, when needed, medication. If preeclampsia develops, close monitoring of blood pressure and the baby’s well-being helps guide decisions about the safest timing for delivery.
At our Detroit area practice, Dr. Chadi Haddad and Lucy Schoemer, DNP monitor each pregnancy closely and respond promptly to any changes, so expectant mothers feel supported and informed at every stage.
Lifelong Health Care After Pregnancy Problems
The months after delivery are an ideal time to begin protecting long-term health. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that postpartum care be an ongoing process rather than a single appointment, with a comprehensive checkup no later than 12 weeks after birth. Women who had gestational diabetes should have their blood sugar tested within a few months of delivery and then every one to three years, since they have a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes later. Women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy also benefit from continued blood pressure checks.
The American Heart Association recognizes certain pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia, as factors that raise a woman’s future risk of heart disease. Sharing this history with a primary care physician helps ensure that future care includes appropriate screening for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Breastfeeding when possible, regular exercise, a heart-healthy diet, adequate sleep and maintaining a healthy weight can all further reduce long-term risk.
Detroit area OBGYN Dr. Chadi Haddad views postpartum and annual well-woman visits as an opportunity to build on the lessons of pregnancy, encouraging healthy habits that can benefit women for decades.
OBGYN for Pregnancy Problems | Detroit Area
A healthy pregnancy is one of the best investments you can make in your own future. By keeping up with prenatal care, addressing complications early and continuing follow-up after your baby arrives, you can lower your risk of serious health problems and stay healthy to raise your child and enjoy the years ahead.
Whether you are planning a pregnancy, expecting now or experienced pregnancy problems in the past, schedule an appointment with top Detroit area OBGYN Dr. Chadi Haddad or certified nurse midwife Lucy Schoemer, DNP. We will create a personalized plan to protect your health during pregnancy and for many years to come.
Top Detroit Area OBGYN | Pregnancy: 313.561.2200
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