Individuals born to mothers who experienced placental abruption during pregnancy face substantially higher risks of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease by age 28 compared to those whose births did not involve this complication. According to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, these individuals are approximately 4.6 times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease and nearly three times more likely to be hospitalized for heart-related conditions during the first 28 years of life.
Placental abruption occurs when the placenta separates from the uterus before delivery rather than after birth, potentially causing severe hemorrhaging and other serious complications for both mother and baby. The condition affects approximately 0.5% to 1% of pregnancies in the general population according to the American Heart Association's 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics. The study analyzed nearly 3 million births in New Jersey from 1993 to 2020, finding that 28,641 pregnancies (approximately 1%) involved placental abruption.
During the 28-year follow-up period, children born to mothers with placental abruption showed dramatically increased cardiovascular risks. Beyond the 4.6-fold higher mortality risk from cardiovascular disease, these children faced nearly triple the risk of hospitalization for heart-related complications including heart failure, ischemic heart disease, heart attack, blocked arteries, and general cardiovascular disease. Their risk of stroke hospitalization was 2.4 times higher than children whose mothers did not experience placental abruption.
"Our study suggests that placental abruption needs to be taken as a very serious complication for the mother and also potentially affecting the baby's cardiovascular health later in life," said study lead author Cande Ananth, Ph.D., M.P.H., of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "Most treatments after a placental abruption focus on following the mother after a pregnancy complication. Our study shows it is important that their children are also monitored to identify potential complications due to their increased risk of cardiovascular disease."
The research indicates that these cardiovascular risks were even higher among children younger than one year old. Importantly, the association between placental abruption and increased cardiovascular risk remained significant even when researchers conducted additional analysis comparing biological siblings, suggesting that genetic and environmental factors alone cannot explain this relationship.
Ananth emphasized that placental abruption "is a sudden and often catastrophic event that cannot be prevented and comes with no warning." He noted that older women and those expecting multiples have increased risk, and that maintaining a healthy lifestyle—including avoiding smoking, alcohol, and illegal drugs while maintaining good blood pressure control—can help reduce risks since these factors are linked to placental abruption.
The findings reinforce the importance of monitoring both mothers and children following pregnancy complications. "We know that women who have complications during pregnancy are often at higher risk for heart disease and stroke, and that's why the American Heart Association recommends closely monitoring these women, especially in the first three months to a year after birth," said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. "The findings of this study reinforce that it is also important to monitor their babies for risks and identify opportunities to reduce the potential impact these complications may have on them not only right after birth, but throughout their lifetime."
Researchers suggest that having cardio-obstetrics working together with pediatric programs in medical schools and hospitals will be important for providing support and monitoring the health of both mothers after delivery and their children as they grow. The study authors note that more research is needed to understand how placental abruption affects heart health in children born from these pregnancies, and that the current findings are limited because the study represents an analysis of hospital and death records rather than establishing a cause-and-effect relationship.
