Adverse Childhood Experiences are Associated with Miscarriage in Adulthood: The GROWH Study

OBJECTIVES To investigate whether adverse childhood experiences are associated with miscarriage. METHODS The Gulf Resilience on Women's Health Consortium recruited from clinics and community organizations in Southern Louisiana, 2011-2016. Data from 1511 reproductive-aged women with at least one pregnancy were analyzed. Adverse childhood experiences including abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction, as a child (< age 12), and as an adolescent (12-17), were assessed. Outcome measures were self-reported miscarriage at first pregnancy and at any pregnancy, analyzed with logistic regression with adjustment for maternal age at pregnancy, race, BMI, education, marital and smoking status. RESULTS Women reporting four or more adversities as a child and as a teen had higher odds of experiencing miscarriage at first pregnancy (AORchild 1.71, 95% CI 1.00-2.90; AORteen 1.73, 95% CI 1.05-2.87) and miscarriage at any pregnancy (AORchild 1.74, 95% CI 1.16-2.62; ORteen 1.65, 95% CI 1.10-2.45) compared to those with no adverse childhood experiences. Similar patterns of association were seen for other ACE sub-categories. CONCLUSIONS Childhood adversities were associated with miscarriage. Further research is needed on the pathways which created this association, including psychological, behavioral, and physiological mechanisms and factors which can mitigate the effects of these outcomes.