Women who give birth to premature babies face an increased risk of heart disease, researchers warn today.
A major European analysis has found these women face a doubled risk of developing heart disease and stroke.
The risk applies to women who give birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy, according to researchers. This applies to more than 10% of pregnancies.
Researchers say it is possible that some common factors underlying risk of premature birth and risk of heart disease.
The findings come from an analysis of ten studies in five northern European countries – Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Scotland.
Studies involved groups of up to 900,000 women.
The research was reported today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Researcher Dr Karst Heida, from the Department of Obstetrics at the University Medical Centre, Utrecht, said there was "as yet insufficient evidence to include spontaneous preterm delivery in the accepted cardiovascular risk charts or in the standard prevention guidelines."
He added: "A history of spontaneous preterm delivery may identify women who are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease – and such women should be encouraged to optimise modifiable risk factors to reduce their risk of future cardiovascular disease."
Cardiovascular disease risk in women with a history of spontaneous preterm delivery: A systematic review and meta-analysis European Journal of Preventive Cardiology 10 February 2015; doi: 10.1177/2047487314566758
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