Publication year
2011
Citation Title
Health outcomes among infants born to women deployed to United States military operations during pregnancy.
Journal Name
Birth Defects Research
Journal Volume
91
Issue Number
2
Page Numbers
117-124
DOI
10.1002/bdra.20746
Summary
Department of Defenese (DoD) Birth and Infant Health Registry data were used to examine whether maternal deployment during pregnancy was associated with adverse health outcomes at birth and in the first year of life. Infants born to women who were deployed some time in their first trimester of pregnancy were not more likely to experience adverse health outcomes.
Key Findings
Infants born to military women who were deployed in early pregnancy were not at increased risk for being born preterm, being diagnosed with a major birth defect, or being diagnosed with a malignancy in the first year of life.
Non-singleton infants, male infants, and infants born to a mother aged 35 years or older were significantly more likely to have birth defects.
The prevalence of hydrocephalus without spina bifida was higher among infants in the deployment group, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide workshops for Service members and their families that offer research-based information about the absence of documented adverse outcomes for children born to mothers who were pregnant during deployment
Educate female Service members about health-promoting behaviors which will benefit both the mother and unborn child
Distribute information regarding environmental impact of infant health outcomes and ways to reduce negative exposure and stress during pregnancy
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to provide support to female Service members who discover they are pregnant during deployment and consider instituting safeguards to minimize health risks during deployment
Minimize exposure to potential hazards by female Service members during pregnancy
Encourage collaboration among DoD and community-based services to provide streamlined and cohesive care for pregnant Service members
Methods
The Department of Defense Birth and Infant Health Registry was used to capture birth and infant health outcomes in the first year of life.
Military personnel rosters were used to assess maternal characteristics.
Infants born between 2002-2005 were included in the study.
Participants
Sixty-three thousand fifty-six infants were born to military mothers from 2002-2005.
A total of 22,596 infants were born to women who deployed; 64% were born to mothers who never deployed, 18% deployed post-pregnancy, 13% deployed pre-pregnancy, 5% deployed during the first trimester, and 0.2% deployed in late pregnancy.
The majority of mothers were White (48%), and under the age of 35 years (93%).
Service members were 33% Army, 32% Air Force, 29% Navy, and 6% Marines; 88% were enlisted and 87% were active duty.
Limitations
This study was unable to evaluate pregnancy losses; therefore, no conclusions about how deployment is related to pregnancy losses can be drawn.
Specific deployment hazards and exposures were not measured; the impact of specific exposures cannot be assessed.
Misclassification bias may have occurred due to the study’s reliance on electronic databases.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore the relationship between specific military occupational exposures and their impact on reproductive health
Examine the outcome over time for these children
Explore a broader range of possible health outcomes among the children
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Component
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Military professionals who deploy to combat operations may encounter hazards that could adversely affect reproductive health. Pregnant woman are generally exempt from deployment to military operations, however, exposures to such environments may inadvertently occur. We investigated whether maternal deployment during pregnancy was associated with adverse health outcomes in infants. METHODS: The United States Department of Defense Birth and Infant Health Registry identified infants born to military service women between 2002 and 2005, and defined their health outcomes at birth and in the first year of life. Multivariable modeling was applied to investigate preterm birth and birth defects among infants, based on maternal deployment experience during pregnancy. RESULTS: Among 63,056 infants born to military women from 2002 to 2005, 22,596 were born to women with deployment experience in support of the current military operations before, during, or after their pregnancy. These included 2941 infants born to women who appeared to have been deployed some time during their first trimester of pregnancy. Compared to infants born to women who deployed at other times, or never deployed, exposed infants were not more likely to be born preterm, diagnosed with a major birth defect, or diagnosed with a malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory analysis, infants born to women who inadvertently deployed to military operations during their pregnancy were not at increased risk of adverse birth or infant health outcomes. Future analyses should examine outcomes related to specific maternal exposures during deployment, and outcomes among the growing number of infants conceived after deployment.
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