Women with polycystic ovaries may have more pregnancy problems

About 15 percent of women of reproductive age suffer from Stein-Leventhal syndrome or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which causes hormonal imbalance and irregularities in the menstrual cycle, which in some cases makes it difficult to achieve pregnancy.

According to a recent study by Swedish researchers from the Karolinska Institute, in addition to having complications to get pregnant, women with polycystic ovaries may have more pregnancy problems.

They specifically believe that pregnant women affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), characterized by the appearance of small cysts at the edges of the ovaries, are more likely to suffer from gestational diabetes, preeclampsia (induced hypertension during pregnancy) or premature delivery.

While on the other hand, there is a higher incidence among these mothers of children born larger for their gestational age, with a greater tendency to caesarean section, and asphyxiation during childbirth.

That is what the study researchers have found, and they ask whether it would be convenient to treat these cases as high risk pregnancies, but other experts do not have the same opinion.

To reassure women with PCOS, Javier Martínez, head of the Gynecology and Osbtetrics Department of the Severo Ochoa Hospital in Madrid, believes that the only difference between the pregnancy of a woman with PCOS and another without this syndrome is the difficulty in achieving pregnancy . "Once in pregnancy there are usually no problems and less for the fetus"comments.

However, there are women who, precisely because they are affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), are more predisposed to a series of complications. According to doctors, a woman with this disorder and who is resistant to insulin usually has a tendency to gain weight and the more obesity, the greater the risk of suffering, for example, diabetes or preeclampsia.

Therefore, they agree that it would not hurt if they were carried out more comprehensive controls for women with polycystic ovaries to avoid pregnancy problems.

Video: Can you get pregnant if you have polycystic ovary syndrome? (March 2024).