Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (595 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Conditions or pathological processes associated with pregnancy. They can occur during or after pregnancy, and range from minor discomforts to serious diseases that require medical interventions. They include diseases in pregnant females, and pregnancies in females with diseases.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Complication, Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complication; Complications, Pregnancy; Adverse Birth Outcomes; Adverse Birth Outcome; Birth Outcome, Adverse; Outcome, Adverse Birth.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications
- Narrower topics
- Abortion, Spontaneous; Abortion, Threatened; Chorea Gravidarum; Diabetes, Gestational; Fetal Death; Fetal Diseases; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; Morning Sickness; Nuchal Cord; Obstetric Labor Complications; Oligohydramnios; Pelvic Floor Disorders; Pemphigoid Gestationis; Perinatal Death
- See also
- Pregnancy, Prolonged
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 519,425 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Pregnancy Complications” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 94,159 of them (18.1%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 213,244 records.
Reviews account for 70,421 records (13.6%) and meta-analyses for 7,510. Randomized controlled trials number 10,210 (2.0%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 213,244 |
| 2000-2009 | 86,439 |
| 2010-2019 | 125,583 |
| 2020 onward | 94,159 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 70,421 | 13.6% |
| Meta-analyses | 7,510 | 1.4% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 10,210 | 2.0% |
Method: PubMed query "Pregnancy Complications"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in kidney, urology and women's health
Kidney, urinary and reproductive health research uses lab markers (such as creatinine), imaging, symptom scores and registry data on pregnancy and birth. Findings about pregnancy are especially sensitive to who was studied and when in pregnancy exposure occurred. Nothing on this page is advice about treatment, fertility or pregnancy; speak to a qualified clinician. Check the population, the outcome measured and whether the study accounted for other health differences between groups.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychometric evaluation of the Brazilian version of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale - Research Short-Form for Global Crises (PSAS-BR-RSF-C) | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42799783 · DOI · PMC13615903 |
| Evidence for maternal autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of preterm birth | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42875547 · DOI · PMC13710164 |
| Adapted Screening Methods for Gestational Diabetes in Low-Resource Settings-A Narrative Review of Observational Studies | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42960867 · DOI · PMC13721168 |
Psychometric evaluation of the Brazilian version of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale - Research Short-Form for Global Crises (PSAS-BR-RSF-C) [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- PurposeAnxiety symptoms are highly prevalent during the postpartum period; however, validated instruments to measure postpartum-specific anxiety in Brazil are lacking.
- Closing excerpt
- The instrument offers a brief, culturally adapted tool for researchers and clinicians assessing postpartum anxiety in Brazil, including during global health crises.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (220 words)
PurposeAnxiety symptoms are highly prevalent during the postpartum period; however, validated instruments to measure postpartum-specific anxiety in Brazil are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale - Research Short-Form for Global Crises (PSAS-BR-RSF-C) in a Brazilian sample.MethodsA convenience sample of 189 Brazilian mothers of infants aged 0 to 12 months completed the PSAS-BR-RSF-C, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), and the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) online. Spearman correlations, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with Diagonally Weighted Least Squares estimation, and McDonald's omega reliability indices were calculated.ResultsCFA supported the four-factor structure proposed for the original instrument (CFI = 0.978; TLI = 0.970; RMSEA = 0.060 [90% CI: 0.035-0.083]; SRMR = 0.077). The PSAS-BR-RSF-C total score showed moderate-to-strong and significant correlations with measures of anxiety (GAD-7; r = .52), depression (EPDS; r = .61), and self-criticism (SCS; r = .52), demonstrating good convergent validity. Overall internal consistency was satisfactory (McDonald's ω = 0.85).ConclusionThese findings provide initial support for the validity and overall internal consistency of the PSAS-BR-RSF-C in Brazilian postpartum samples, while indicating that the reliability of some factor scores warrants further investigation. The instrument offers a brief, culturally adapted tool for researchers and clinicians assessing postpartum anxiety in Brazil, including during global health crises.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42799783 · DOI · PMC13615903
Evidence for maternal autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of preterm birth [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Preterm birth is associated with breakdown of maternal-fetal tolerance and remains the leading cause of global mortality in young children.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings identify a term pregnancy humoral immune program and shared changes preceding preterm delivery, including anti-IL1RA, which may have direct pathogenic consequences.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (145 words)
Preterm birth is associated with breakdown of maternal-fetal tolerance and remains the leading cause of global mortality in young children. However, the role of self-reactive antibodies has been limited to a handful of pathogenic allo- and autoantibodies linked to pregnancy complications. Here we identify a shared autoreactive signature of pregnancy in pregnant sera (n = 2,719) relative to never-pregnant controls (n = 130), using proteome-wide autoantibody profiling. Across eight human pregnancy cohorts, we define autoreactivities associated with preterm birth by comparing preterm (n = 688) and term (n = 1,505) pregnancies. Within the signature, antibodies to IL1 receptor antagonist (IL1RA) induce resorption, inflammation and vascular malperfusion in pregnant mice. IL1RA localizes to placental endothelial adherens junctions, suggesting a role in vascular integrity. These findings identify a term pregnancy humoral immune program and shared changes preceding preterm delivery, including anti-IL1RA, which may have direct pathogenic consequences.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42875547 · DOI · PMC13710164
Adapted Screening Methods for Gestational Diabetes in Low-Resource Settings-A Narrative Review of Observational Studies [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- IntroductionGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects approximately 14%-17% of pregnancies worldwide, with the vast majority of cases occurring in low-resource settings.
- Closing excerpt
- Further research and validation are necessary for all approaches to safely reduce the number of OGTTs without compromising diagnostic accuracy.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (230 words)
IntroductionGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects approximately 14%-17% of pregnancies worldwide, with the vast majority of cases occurring in low-resource settings. There is an ongoing debate concerning the optimal screening and diagnosis of GDM, as the current diagnostic recommendation of performing a universal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for every pregnant woman (WHO, 2013) is resource-intensive and can potentially lead to overdiagnosis. This narrative literature reviews aimed to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of alternative, less resource-demanding screening methods that could be appropriately used for low-resource settings.MethodsFor this narrative review, observational studies were identified via PubMed. The PRISMA guidelines were used to guide this process. As the studies investigated very diverse screening methods, no statistical meta-analysis was performed due to methodological heterogeneity; instead, the results were synthesized narratively.ResultsTen studies were included, examining various alternatives such as fasting plasma glucose thresholds (sensitivity 95.6%), selective screening strategies (sensitivity 73.6%), capillary blood glucose testing (sensitivity 67.9%, 79.3%, and 92.5% for different fasting cut points), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurements (sensitivity approximately 84%, depending on the cut-offs).DiscussionAll alternatives showed inferior sensitivity compared to the standard OGTT; therefore, none can currently substitute the OGTT. However, basically all approaches have the potential to either reduce the number of OGTTs or improve access to GDM screening for more patients. Further research and validation are necessary for all approaches to safely reduce the number of OGTTs without compromising diagnostic accuracy.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42960867 · DOI · PMC13721168
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Effects of lifestyle interventions in pregnancy on gestational diabetes: individual participant data and network meta-analysis [4]
- Research article Prognostic accuracy of clinical markers of postpartum bleeding in predicting maternal mortality or severe morbidity: a WHO individual participant data meta-analysis [5]
- Research article Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and the Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Childhood [6]
- Research article Efficacy and safety of esketamine on major depression, postpartum depression and perioperative depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis [7]
- Research article Meta-analysis of maternal exposure to heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium) and adverse pregnancy outcomes [8]
- Research article Association between heat and air pollution (PM2.5 and black carbon) exposure in pregnancy and preterm birth in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis [9]
Full-text reviews on EvidenceLib
Open-access review articles about this topic, reproduced in full with authors, licence and references.
A Scoping Review on Nutrition Knowledge and Nutrition Literacy Among Pregnant Women and the Prevalence of Pregnancy Complications and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
Tinuola Oladebo, Faith Bobholz, Kevin Folivi et al. · Nutrients 2025 · CC BY 4.0
The Role of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection in Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Review of the Potential Mechanisms
Annete Njue, Carolyn Coyne, Andrea V Margulis et al. · Viruses 2020 · CC BY 4.0
Risk factors for preterm birth: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies
Ioannis Mitrogiannis, Evangelos Evangelou, Athina Efthymiou et al. · BMC Medicine 2023 · CC BY 4.0
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Europe: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Studies
Marília Silva Paulo, Noor Motea Abdo, Rita Bettencourt-Silva et al. · Frontiers in Endocrinology 2021 · CC BY 4.0
Comparison of Multivariable Logistic Regression and Other Machine Learning Algorithms for Prognostic Prediction Studies in Pregnancy Care: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Herdiantri Sufriyana, Atina Husnayain, Ya-Lin Chen et al. · JMIR Medical Informatics 2020 · CC BY 4.0
References
- Gerhardt BC, Zimmer C, Serra J, Souza Torres de Araújo KM, Fallon V, Silverio SA, et al.. Psychometric evaluation of the Brazilian version of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale - Research Short-Form for Global Crises (PSAS-BR-RSF-C). . 2026. PMID 42799783 · DOI · PMC13615903
- Rackaityte E, Borges B, Kortbawi HM, Miller HS, Shao SJ, Zorn KC, et al.. Evidence for maternal autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of preterm birth. . 2026. PMID 42875547 · DOI · PMC13710164
- Kittelmann M, Monod C, Mosimann B. Adapted Screening Methods for Gestational Diabetes in Low-Resource Settings-A Narrative Review of Observational Studies. . 2026. PMID 42960867 · DOI · PMC13721168
- Allotey J, Coomar D, Ensor J, Ruiz-Calvo G, Boath A, Ogwulu CO, et al.. Effects of lifestyle interventions in pregnancy on gestational diabetes: individual participant data and network meta-analysis. BMJ. 2026. PMID 41494781 · DOI · PMC12771886
- Gallos I, Williams CR, Price MJ, Tobias A, Devall A, Allotey J, et al.. Prognostic accuracy of clinical markers of postpartum bleeding in predicting maternal mortality or severe morbidity: a WHO individual participant data meta-analysis. Lancet. 2025. PMID 41056961 · DOI · PMC12549477
- Bérard A, Cottin J, Leal LF, Picot C, Pleau J, Friedman JM, et al.. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and the Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Childhood. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2026. PMID 41062061 · DOI
- Huang C, Hu L, Liu W, Geng F, Wong GTC, Zhang Y, et al.. Efficacy and safety of esketamine on major depression, postpartum depression and perioperative depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry. 2026. PMID 41152407 · DOI
- Ou Y, Han J, Wei Y, Gao X. Meta-analysis of maternal exposure to heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium) and adverse pregnancy outcomes. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2025. PMID 41316017 · DOI · PMC12763927
- Raghavan S, Isaac TS, Arya D, Flores GC, Shanmugam R, Na A, et al.. Association between heat and air pollution (PM2.5 and black carbon) exposure in pregnancy and preterm birth in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2025. PMID 40953917 · DOI · PMC12434743
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.