Study of the birthweight of parents experiencing unexplained recurrent miscarriages.
OBJECTIVE
To examine birthweight and preterm birth rates in couples with unexplained recurrent miscarriages.


METHODS
A case control study. Birth data of couples with recurrent miscarriages were obtained from midwife records. Time and sex-matched births from the same records served as controls.


METHODS
A Regional Hospital in Denmark.


METHODS
79 singleborn women with recurrent miscarriages and 60 of their male partners comprised the main study groups. Two control groups comprised 474 female and 360 male singleborn infants who survived day 7 postpartum.


METHODS
Mean birthweight in the two main study groups and in subgroups with histories of 3, 4 and greater than or equal to 5 miscarriages.


RESULTS
The mean birthweight of the women with recurrent miscarriages was 3265 g (SE 70) and in female controls 3414 g (SE 23) (P less than 0.025). The 17 women with five or more miscarriages had a mean birthweight of 2991 g (SD 140) (P less than 0.001 compared with controls). Of the women in the study group 10.8% were born preterm compared with 2.9% of the controls (P = 0.01). The mean birthweight of the male partners in the study group, 3470 g (SE 68), did not differ significantly from that of 3504 g (SE 31) in the male controls (P less than 0.5).


CONCLUSIONS
Women suffering unexplained recurrent miscarriages have on average had a significantly lower than normal birthweight themselves, whereas this was not observed in their male partners. This points towards the existence of a birthweight-reducing trait associated with recurrent miscarriages, the trait being manifest only in the woman.
Christiansen
O B
OB
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aalborg Regional Hospital, Denmark.
Mathiesen
O
O
Lauritsen
J G
JG
Grunnet
N
N
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D012737:Sex Factors