Silicone breast implants may contribute to early-onset fetal growth restriction

Abstract

Introduction There are many studies showing that silicone breast implants may affect lactation, but few analyzed whether these implants affect placentation. We observed that many mothers with growth-restricted pregnancies had inflammatory conditions, such as silicone breast implants or giardiasis. Methods This single-center cohort study assessed the prevalence of inflammatory conditions in normotensive growth-restricted singleton pregnancies. Next, we stratified the patients according to the presence or absence of silicone breast implants, to determine whether these implants influence fetal growth restriction onset or severity. Results Twelve (32%) of the 38 participants underwent cosmetic breast augmentation 4–18 years before pregnancy. Half of the patients with and 38% without silicone breast implants had giardiasis. Half of the mothers with and 35% without silicone breast implants had autoantibodies. Silicone breast implants were associated with a 70% increased risk of fetal growth restriction before 32 weeks’ gestation (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–2.5). Fetal growth restriction was diagnosed significantly earlier in mothers with than in those without silicone breast implants, respectively at 27 (95% CI, 25–30) and 30 weeks’ gestation (95% CI, 29–32). Silicone breast implants also tripled the risk of fetuses being below the third percentile, but the difference was not significant. Conclusion Our results suggest that the association of inflammatory conditions, such as silicone breast implants, giardiasis, and autoantibodies may contribute to placental insufficiency. Silicone breast implants older than four years increased the risk of early-onset fetal growth restriction. Studies with large samples are needed to validate our findings and define whether silicone-related fetal growth restriction should be included in autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA) criteria. Key Points • Fetal growth restriction (FGR), responsible for 30% of stillbirths, is the most common cause of prematurity and intrapartum asphyxia. • In this study, including 38 mothers with normotensive FGR, all participants had 2–4 inflammatory conditions, such as giardiasis, sinusitis, candidiasis, dysbiosis, extreme fear or autoantibodies. • Silicone breast implants were associated with a 70% increased risk of fetal growth restriction before 32 weeks’ gestation. • FGR was diagnosed at 27 weeks’ gestation (95% CI, 25–30) in mothers with and at 30 weeks’ gestation (95% CI, 29–32) in mothers without silicone breast implants.

The Impact of Emotional Responses on Female Reproduction: Fibrinolysis in the Spotlight

“…Hypofibrinolytic conditions that increase the risk of fetal growth restriction, apart from emotional responses, include inflammatory conditions as diverse as obesity, 75 autoimmune diseases, 76 silicone breast implants, 77 gut dysbiosis, 78 giardiasis, 79 and ferroptosis, 80 81 a condition associated with iron toxicity characterized by increased levels of TGF-β, as well as hyperhomocysteinemia, 82 hypothyroidism, 83 Cushing's syndrome, 84 and autoantibodies such as antiphospholipid antibodies. 76 85 The PAI-1 4G allele does not seem to contribute to fetal growth restriction, 86 87 supporting the idea that decreased villous branching depends mostly on factors occurring in late pregnancy.…”