Endometriosis and Pregnancy

In a September 2019 study in Obstetrics & Gynecology it was shown that women with endometriosis tend to have more medical problems in pregnancy. But there is much to be understood and a new article in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Dec 2022 has relooked at this issue.

Endometriosis occurs in at least 5% of all women and it is a condition of inflammation.

It was thought that the high levels of progesterone during pregnancy might serve to suppress endometriosis.

But the new study indicating that women who have active endometriosis going into pregnancy are more likely to have severe hypertension during pregnancy.

Women who have had proven endometriosis are known to have more infertility, so they still have to be on the alert once they are successful at conception. The problems do not stop once they conceive.

Women with endometriosis in this data show those with endometriosis have more problems with diabetes in pregnancy, with preeclampsia, with delivering before being full term, having risk of pregnancy infections as well as prematurely rupturing membranes, and delivering early, and thus have more problems with their babies being under weight.

No one cause has been determined, but the more we know about adenomyosis, which is endometriosis of the uterus itself, the more we have looked to problems with the placenta leading to the problems in pregnancy with the women who have had confirmed endometriosis.

Studies are confusing in other ways as well, as many women who have had proven endometriosis are actually older when they conceive. For some women their increased age and weight could account for some of these same problems.

It means that you need to be as healthy as possible when you enter pregnancy, so come in for a check up before discarding contraception.