Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between maternal birth weight (MBW) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) according to the gestational age when HDP develops.
Study design: A total of 77,345 subjects were included in this prospective birth cohort study. The association between MBW and HDP was investigated by a multinomial logistic regression model.
Main outcome measures: Early-onset HDP (EO-HDP), preterm late-onset HDP (preterm LO-HDP), and term late-onset HDP (term LO-HDP).
Results: Lower MBW was associated with higher odds of preterm and term LO-HDP (p-values for trend < 0.0001 and = 0.0005, respectively). A linear association between MBW and EO-HDP was observed (p-values for trend = 0.0496). The shape of the association between MBW and preterm LO-HDP was a combination of the associations between MBW with EO-HDP or LO-HDP. The effect size of the association between MBW < 2,500 g and EO-HDP was lower than that of MBW < 2,500 g with preterm or term LO-HDP. The adjusted odds ratios for EO-HDP, preterm LO-HDP, and term LO-HDP in subjects with MBW < 2,500 g were 1.052 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.665-1.664), 1.745 (95 % CI: 1.220-2.496), and 1.496 (95 % CI: 1.154-1.939), respectively.
Conclusions: MBW was associated with HDP, regardless of gestational age when HDP developed. Furthermore, the association of MBW < 2,500 g with preterm or term LO-HDP was stronger than that with EO-HDP.
Keywords: Birth weight; Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
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