Childhood school outcomes for infants born to women with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND

To investigate the childhood school outcomes for infants born to women with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective population-based cohort study linking perinatal data from 2003 to 2013 to developmental scores at preparatory school and educational scores at school grades 3, 5, and 7 in Victoria, Australia. Exposures of interest were the presence of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and iatrogenic delivery for preeclampsia. Multivariable logistic regression and generalised estimating equation models were employed.

RESULTS

In total, 682,386 births ≥32 weeks' gestation were linked to 175,665 child developmental results and 412,834 with at least one educational result. Compared to infants born to women without a hypertensive disorder, infants born to women with a hypertensive disorder had no increased risk of poorer developmental outcomes at school entry but a significantly increased risk of poorer educational outcomes across grades 3, 5, and 7. Compared to infants born to women without preeclampsia, infants born to women iatrogenically delivered for preeclampsia had no increased risk of poorer developmental outcomes (aOR = 1.12, 95 % CI: 0.98-1.28) but a significantly increased risk of poorer educational outcomes at grades 3 (aOR = 1.23, 95 % CI: 1.09-1.38), 5 (aOR = 1.27, 95 % CI: 1.13-1.43), and 7 (aOR = 1.24, 95 % CI: 1.09-1.43).

CONCLUSION

The presence of maternal hypertension in pregnancy, particularly where preeclampsia was the indication for iatrogenic delivery, is associated with impaired school educational outcomes.