Comorbidity and hospital procedures in pregnancies with congenital anomalies: population-based study
Abstract
Background: Maternal comorbidities and their relationship with fetal outcomes are a key public health concern. Although the aetiology of many congenital anomalies (CA) is unknown, maternal characteristics may influence their occurrence and the need for hospitalization.
Aim: to describe comorbidities and procedures recorded in hospitalization records of pregnant women whose children had CA
Methods: Cross-sectional study was performed in pregnant women, residents in Valencian Region (VR, Spain), who had children between 2007-2022, live or stillbirths and diagnosed with CA, and who had at least one hospitalization during pregnancy. Pregnant women were identified from the CA population-based registry of VR, and their hospitalizations from the Hospital Discharge Database between 2006-2023. Descriptive analysis of hospitalisations characteristics was performed overall and by trimester of pregnancy
Results: 13711 hospitalizations were recorded among 10884 pregnant women, who had 10974 children with CA. The median number of diagnoses was 5, 95.5% had any diagnosis included in a specific chapter of pregnancy. In first trimester, 59.5% did not have diagnoses in this specific chapter and the main diagnosis was related to assisted reproductive fertility. Diabetes (8.7%) and hypertension (5.5%) were the most frequent comorbidities. The median number of procedures per hospitalization was 3; 87.5% were obstetric and 32.2% cesarean sections. Main diagnosis and procedure in hospitalizations that required ICU were preeclampsia (44.4%) and cesarean (87.7%). Pregnant women group with children with congenital heart defects had more surgical procedure proportion (than other CA) with statistical differences
Conclusions: Early diagnoses related to fertility problems highlight the need for enhanced monitoring from the first trimester. Integrating population-based and hospital data would strengthen surveillance and improve understanding of factors associated with CA and maternal hospitalization
Key messages: • Pregnancies affected by congenital anomalies show a high burden of maternal comorbidities and procedures, with hospitalizations largely obstetric and varying by trimester.
• Integrating population-based registries with hospital data strengthens public health surveillance and supports earlier identification of maternal risks and improved care planning.
Related
- Is SARS-CoV-2 Infection (COVID-19) Associated With Congenital Anomalies? A Population Study of Congenital Anomaly Surveillance Data and Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Wales.
- Associations of major congenital anomalies, long-term health conditions, and socioeconomic deprivation with educational attainment in Wales: A population-based data linkage study
- Managing Choledocholithiasis in Rare Congenital Hepatobiliary Anomalies: A Report of Three Cases
- Missed, Misclassified or Misunderstood? Clinician Perspectives on Congenital Uterine Anomalies in Australia and New Zealand
- Modern hysteroscopic management of congenital uterine anomalies: current techniques, emerging technologies, and future directions
BibTeX
@article{garciavillodre2026comorbidity,
title = {{Comorbidity and hospital procedures in pregnancies with congenital anomalies: population-based study}},
author = {L Garcia-Villodre and L Barrachina-Bonet and B Arribas-Díaz and L Páramo-Rodríguez and A Torró-Gómez and N García-Flores and P Oña-Nieto and O Zurriaga and JV Sorlí and C Cavero-Cabornell},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.299},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.299},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Comorbidity and hospital procedures in pregnancies with congenital anomalies: population-based study
AU - L Garcia-Villodre
AU - L Barrachina-Bonet
AU - B Arribas-Díaz
AU - L Páramo-Rodríguez
AU - A Torró-Gómez
AU - N García-Flores
AU - P Oña-Nieto
AU - O Zurriaga
AU - JV Sorlí
AU - C Cavero-Cabornell
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.299
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.299
AB - Background: Maternal comorbidities and their relationship with fetal outcomes are a key public health concern. Although the aetiology of many congenital anomalies (CA) is unknown, maternal characteristics may influence their occurrence and the need for hospitalization. Aim: to describe comorbidities and procedures recorded in hospitalization records of pregnant women whose children had CA Methods: Cross-sectional study was performed in pregnant women, residents in Valencian Region (VR, Spain), who had children between 2007-2022, live or stillbirths and diagnosed with CA, and who had at least one hospitalization during pregnancy. Pregnant women were identified from the CA population-based registry of VR, and their hospitalizations from the Hospital Discharge Database between 2006-2023. Descriptive analysis of hospitalisations characteristics was performed overall and by trimester of pregnancy Results: 13711 hospitalizations were recorded among 10884 pregnant women, who had 10974 children with CA. The median number of diagnoses was 5, 95.5% had any diagnosis included in a specific chapter of pregnancy. In first trimester, 59.5% did not have diagnoses in this specific chapter and the main diagnosis was related to assisted reproductive fertility. Diabetes (8.7%) and hypertension (5.5%) were the most frequent comorbidities. The median number of procedures per hospitalization was 3; 87.5% were obstetric and 32.2% cesarean sections. Main diagnosis and procedure in hospitalizations that required ICU were preeclampsia (44.4%) and cesarean (87.7%). Pregnant women group with children with congenital heart defects had more surgical procedure proportion (than other CA) with statistical differences Conclusions: Early diagnoses related to fertility problems highlight the need for enhanced monitoring from the first trimester. Integrating population-based and hospital data would strengthen surveillance and improve understanding of factors associated with CA and maternal hospitalization Key messages: • Pregnancies affected by congenital anomalies show a high burden of maternal comorbidities and procedures, with hospitalizations largely obstetric and varying by trimester. • Integrating population-based registries with hospital data strengthens public health surveillance and supports earlier identification of maternal risks and improved care planning.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -