Women who experienced maltreatment, domestic violence or household substance abuse as children have a higher risk of complications during pregnancy, a study has found.

University of Queensland researchers say these women have a 37 per cent higher risk of pregnancy complications including diabetes, high blood pressure, excessive weight gain, anxiety and depression.

They are also 31 per cent more likely to give birth to premature babies or babies with a low birth weight.

The research analysed 21 studies on the impact of childhood trauma.

Project leader Abdullah Mamun said women with adverse childhood experiences also had a higher risk of substance abuse, physical inactivity and poor diet.

“This highlights the long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences and the importance of preventing these to reduce both immediate and intergenerational impacts,” Associate Professor Mamun said.

“Those experiences can alter the way the brain functions, including things like our stress-signalling pathways, and even our immune system function.”

He said screening for adverse childhood experiences and providing trauma-informed care might help prevent pregnancy complications.

“This is clearly an important area of research, with the negative effects of childhood trauma being felt well into adulthood and across generations,” Prof Mamun said.

The findings, published in the journal BMJ Open, suggest further research is needed because of limitations to the data, which came mostly from Western countries.

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– AAP