Study: Neonatal deaths rose with mom’s number of chronic conditions

The risk of severe neonatal morbidity or mortality increased with the number of pre-existing chronic conditions the mother had, a study published in JAMA Network Open found. The authors conclude that newborn mortality could be decreased with pre-conception counseling for mothers with multiple chronic conditions to enhance chronic disease management, monitoring in pregnancy to identify complications earlier and improved newborn supports. The cohort study of nearly 1.02 million births found an association between the number of maternal chronic conditions before pregnancy and the risk of neonatal deaths, preterm birth and congenital anomalies. About 16% of pregnant women have multiple chronic conditions. (MedPage Today article, 1/23/26)