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. 2025 Feb 3;8(2):e2459877.
doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.59877.

Complications After Maternal Traumatic Brain Injury During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

Carina Heller  1   2   3   4   5   6 , Mathilda Kraft  7 , Margaret Martinez  8   9 , Anya S Mirmajlesi  8   9 , Magdalena Janecka  10   11 , Clare McCormack  10 , Moriah E Thomason  10   11 , Thomas Weiss  7 , Hector Arciniega  8   9
Affiliations

Complications After Maternal Traumatic Brain Injury During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

Carina Heller et al. JAMA Netw Open. .

Abstract

Importance: General trauma is the leading cause of nonobstetric maternal morbidity and mortality, affecting approximately 8% of all pregnancies. Pregnant women with traumatic brain injury (TBI) face high morbidity and mortality rates, requiring complex management due to physiological changes, teratogenic risks of treatments, and the need for fetal monitoring.

Objectives: To assess the consequences of TBI during pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes and to evaluate management strategies to inform clinical decision-making.

Evidence review: A systematic literature search was conducted on January 12, 2024, in PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycInfo to identify articles published in English, German, or Spanish between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2023, that included at least 1 pregnant individual with TBI. Peer-reviewed, human-based studies with original data on maternal and fetal outcomes were included. Reviews, meta-analyses, and nonhuman studies were excluded. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full-text articles. Study characteristics, pregnancy outcomes (maternal and fetal), management methods, and authors' conclusions were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed by 2 reviewers, with interrater agreement measured using Cohen κ. Disagreements were resolved through discussion. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline was followed.

Findings: This systematic review included 16 articles involving a total of 4112 individuals (mean maternal age, 26.9 years; range, 16-47 years) who experienced TBI during pregnancy (mean gestational age at injury, 24 weeks; range, 3-38 weeks). The articles comprised 10 case reports, 2 case series, and 4 cohort studies. Motor vehicle crashes were the most common cause of injury, reported in 12 articles. The average Glasgow Coma Scale score ranged from 3 to 15 across all individuals. Conservative management was reported in 7 case patients, whereas surgery was performed in 6 case patients. Maternal outcomes ranged from functional recovery to severe cognitive impairment, and fetal outcomes varied from stable to severe adverse outcomes, including stillbirth and death. Risk of bias assessment indicated moderate to good methodological validity overall, but most articles demonstrated poor quality of evidence.

Conclusions and relevance: In this review, no definitive association between TBI during pregnancy and maternal or fetal outcomes was found owing to conflicting findings, poor to moderate study quality, and limited evidence. Although some articles suggested increased risks such as placental abruption and cesarean delivery, the findings remained inconclusive. The findings of this review underscore the need for high-quality research, standardized reporting, and rigorous methodology to improve data reliability. Future research should focus on developing consensus-driven, multidisciplinary management strategies to improve maternal and fetal outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Weiss reported receiving grants from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

Figures

Figure.
Figure.. Literature Screening and Study Selection Process
TBI indicates traumatic brain injury.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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