Table 2

The occurrences and relative risks for fetal outcomes and delivery complications among women with AS versus controls expressed as frequencies and both crude and adjusted ORs for possible confounders

Fetal outcomesCases (N=388)Controls (N=1082)TotalOR (95% CI)Adjusted OR* (95% CI)
Preterm birth (< week 37)35 (9.0%)53 (4.9%)881.92 (1.17 to 3.15)1.82 (1.10 to 3.01)
Gestational week 32–3629 (7.5%)48 (4.4%)771.74 (1.02 to 2.96)1.69 (0.98 to 2.91)
Gestational week <326 (1.5%)5 (0.5%)113.38 (1.03 to 11.1)2.85 (0.83 to 9.81)
5 min Apgar <77 (1.8%)16 (1.5%)231.22 (0.50 to 2.96)0.98 (0.37 to 2.59)
SGA12 (3.1%)16 (1.5%)282.12 (1.00 to 4.50)1.96 (0.92 to 4.20)
LGA12 (3.1%)43 (4.0%)550.77 (0.32 to 1.82)0.69 (0.28 to 1.68)
Stillbirth1 (0.3%)1 (0.1%)22.79 (0.18 to 44.5)NA
Pre-eclampsia17 (4.4%)28 (2.6%)451.72 (0.92 to 3.23)1.56 (0.80 to 3.05)
Delivery complications
Epidural analgesia103 (26.5%)283 (26.2%)3861.02 (0.78 to 1.34)1.06 (0.78 to 1.44)
CS112 (28.9%)†177 (16.4%)‡2892.07 (1.53 to 2.82)1.91 (1.39 to 2.63)
Elective CS64 (16.5%)70 (6.5%)1343.00 (2.01 to 4.46)2.70 (1.77 to 4.11)
Emergency CS38 (9.8%)75 (6.9%)1131.66 (1.09 to 2.54)1.56 (0.99 to 2.44)
  • NA, not applicable.

  • *Adjusted for: maternal smoking, education level, age, age squared and parity.

  • †10 CS unspecified.

  • ‡32 CS unspecified.

  • AS, ankylosing spondylitis; CS, Caesarean section; LGA, large for gestational age; SGA, small for gestational age.