Maternal Serum Lipid Trajectories and Association with Pregnancy Loss and Length of Gestation.

OBJECTIVE

We characterized lipid trajectories and investigated lipids and rate of pregnancy lipid change with the risk of pregnancy loss or preterm delivery <37 weeks.

STUDY DESIGN

In a secondary analysis of 337 women with one to two prior losses assigned to placebo in a randomized controlled trial at four centers (2007-2012), cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides were measured up to 6 months prepregnancy (time 0) and pregnancy up to 7 visits. Trajectories were created using linear mixed models. Multivariable logistic regression with adjustment for maternal characteristics and cholesterol was performed.

RESULTS

Lipids decreased from prepregnancy to 4 to 5 weeks, followed by an increase, and were biphasic or triphasic depending on the lipid component. Between 4 and 8 weeks, for every 1-unit increase in HDL-C, there was a 22% decreased odds of loss <14 weeks (odds ratio: 0.78; 95% confidence interval: 0.60, 0.99) and 24% decreased odds of loss or preterm delivery 14 to <37 weeks (odds ratio: 0.76; 95% confidence interval: 0.60, 0.96).

CONCLUSION

There were no associations with other lipid components or other time points. An impaired rise of HDL-C early in pregnancy may signal maladaptation to pregnancy that is associated with pregnancy loss or preterm delivery.