I interviewed the lead researcher of an interesting study on pregnancy outcomes for woman with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. This study has not yet been published. This study stands out because of it’s size (3,700 woman with PCOS) and the inclusion of woman with mild and moderate PCOS. Past studies have been considerable smaller and looked at woman who were seeking infertility treatment. This study was conducted in Sweden which has a National Medical Birth Registry making this type of research possible. This study looked at all births and then selected woman with a diagnosis of PCOS, which included woman in infertility treatment and woman who conceived spontaneously. Although ten times more likely to seek infertility treatment than the control group, only 13.7% of the PCOS woman in this study had sought infertility treatment. Sixty-five percent of the woman in the study were overweight or obese. The study found that compared to woman without PCOS, woman with PCOS were:
- 3.65 times more likely to develop gestational diabetes
- 2 times more likely to develop preeclampsia
- 2.55 times more likely to deliver pre week 32
- 1.69 times more likely to deliver via cesarean section
The researcher speculated that these outcomes will be worse in countries without nationalized free health care. It is unclear at this point whether these outcomes are the result of the PCOS or the weight. Research is ongoing to answer these questions. We plan on interviewing the research team for the Creating a Family show when this research in published.
Image credit: WhimsicalMiss
This helps so much i found i had pcos when i was 20 me and my boyfriend have been talking about having a baby and im so scared of everything that can happen
Thanks for the stats, I also have PCOS.
Happy ICLW
thank you for your coverage and attention to PCOS. I love your video on Wieght, PCOS, and Fertility. it’s how I found this site and blog. Keep reporting and telling others about this disease.
My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right. Keep up the fantastic work!
I think it is wonderful that some women with PCOS are having success with pregnancy. It never happened for me (which turned out to be a great blessing) but I am happy to see others find success with treatments etc.
Congrats!
I've found all of those to be true in the women I've spoken to, and also from the studies I've read. Fortunately, you can prevent a lot of those issues naturally…I've been blessed with 5 babies (5 pregnancies) and only had high blood pressure during one – it and my insulin resistance was controlled naturally. Last 2 pregnancies were PERFECT 🙂
Pamela, Your story is so reassuring. My husband and I are finally 8 weeks pregnant after nearly 6 six years of TTC. I have been extremely anxious about my PCOS causing a miscarriage or other health risks. Are there any suggestions that you may have for me?
Given that PCOS causes obesity in many women I feel it’s unfair to say “It is unclear at this point whether these outcomes are the result of the PCOS or the weight”. For many women, obesity is caused by PCOS so any complications related to their obesity can be attributed to the PCOS. Otherwise it’s like saying someone with a seizure disorder with a headache can’t rule out if it’s the disorder that’s causing it or the seizure they just had. It’s part of the same problem. Separating it out just leads to fat shaming which is incredibly mean when you’re talking about a population who has even less control over their weight than the general population.
Sassy Cupcakes: Well said!!!!!