April 23, 2025 | News | Spotlight

Women with pregnancy losses show persistent health decline

Study examines how pregnancy outcomes affect women’s physical health over time

In his recently published study, Alessandro Di Nallo, Research Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) examines how pregnancy outcomes — live births and pregnancy losses (miscarriages or stillbirths) — affect women’s physical health over time. The findings indicate that while physical health declines for all women after pregnancy, this decline is more pronounced and persistent among those who experienced a pregnancy loss. These disparities remain even after adjusting for socio-demographic and mental health factors.

Pregnancy loss is a common but often overlooked health event that affects millions of women worldwide. © istockphoto.com/Bevan Goldswain

• Over several years, this study compares the physical health of women who experienced pregnancy losses to those with live births.
• It uses data from the Understanding Society Survey in the UK of 2,386 women before and after their first pregnancy, of whom 257 experienced a pregnancy loss between 2009 und 2023.
• Results indicate that women with pregnancy losses show a significant and persistent decline in physical health, especially within the first 2 years following the loss.

Pregnancy loss is a common but often overlooked health event that affects millions of women worldwide. While its psychological consequences are well-documented, its long-term physical health effects are less understood. “I was particularly interested in whether pregnancy loss has distinct and lasting consequences for women’s physical health, separate from the general health declines associated with childbirth”, says Alessandro Di Nallo. What is especially interesting is that the impact of pregnancy loss persists over time and cannot be fully explained by socio-demographic differences, suggesting that pregnancy loss has distinct long-term physical health consequences beyond the immediate postpartum period.

The study uses longitudinal data from the Understanding Society Survey (UKHLS), which provides a nationally representative panel of individuals in the UK. The dataset includes self-reported health indicators, socio-demographic characteristics, and pregnancy history. The analysis focuses on first-reported pregnancies between 2009 and 2023, ensuring a clear comparison between women who experienced live births and those who experienced pregnancy loss.

Does pregnancy loss influence chronic conditions?

While much research has focused on the short-term health effects of pregnancy loss, this study contributes to the literature by examining long-term physical health. Unlike most previous studies, which often focus on recurrent pregnancy losses, this paper investigates first-reported pregnancy loss, reducing bias from pre-existing health declines due to repeated losses. Other studies have explored the mental health consequences of pregnancy loss, but fewer studies have systematically analyzed its long-term physical health effects using longitudinal data. “There are some contradictions in the literature, particularly regarding whether physical health differences persist over time, with some studies attributing them to selection effects rather than causal relationships. By employing fixed-effects models, our study attempts to isolate the impact of pregnancy loss while controlling for unobserved individual differences”, explains Alessandro Di Nallo.

Further research should investigate specific mechanisms through which pregnancy loss may influence chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, to improve targeted interventions. “The study underscores the need for comprehensive healthcare support for women following pregnancy loss, recognizing its lasting impact on physical well-being”, says Alessandro Di Nallo. Public health policies should prioritize extended post-pregnancy healthcare services for women who experience pregnancy loss to address long-term health consequences beyond the immediate postpartum period.

“I hope this research encourages better medical follow-up for women who experience pregnancy loss and informs future public health strategies. Additionally, I want to contribute to the broader discussion on how reproductive experiences shape long-term health outcomes”, says Alessandro Di Nallo.

Original Publication

Di Nallo, A.: Women’s physical health around live births and pregnancy losses: a longitudinal study. European Journal of Public Health (2025). DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaf013

Keywords

Pregnancy Loss, Physical Health, Still Birth, Miscarriage, UK