Journal of Neonatal Biology

Abstract

Role of Maternal ABO Blood Type on Adverse Obstetric Outcomes

Kailey C. Shine, Danielle McGinnis, Danielle Iben, Emily Holthaus, Marim Zoma, Kim Baran, Phillip J. DeChristopher, Loretto Glynn and Jonathan K. Muraskas*

Objective: ABO blood types, particularly type AB, are associated with many disease states, including various cancers, coagulopathies, viral susceptibilities, and some endocrine disorders. The relationship of maternal ABO blood type and adverse obstetrical outcomes has yet to be elucidated. This study evaluates the potential role of maternal ABO blood type on various adverse obstetrical outcomes for both mother and neonate.

Study design: Data from 3,263 deliveries was obtained through electronic medical records at a single medical institution. Variables included maternal blood type, maternal age, Body Mass Index (BMI), gestational age at delivery, quantitative blood loss, mode of delivery, presence of Category 2 or 3 tracing, maternal pregnancy history, clinical chorioamnionitis diagnosis, Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR), stillbirth, Prolonged Rupture Of Membranes (PROM), Preterm Prelabor Rupture of Membranes (PPROM), indications for cesarean section, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and medical history including chronic hypertension, gestational and pre-gestational diabetes, thrombophilia, bleeding disorder, venous thromboembolism, seizure disorder, cholestasis of pregnancy, and COVID-19 infection history.

Results: Patients with blood type AB had a gestational Hypertension (gHTN) rate of 14% compared to 9% in other blood types (p=0.059), which became significant (p=0.032) when controlling for age, BMI, and gestational age. There was no statistically significant association for the rate of preeclampsia and superimposed preeclampsia in blood type AB individuals vs. other (p=0.089), when controlling for age, BMI, and gestational age. No statistically significant association for any hypertensive disorder of pregnancy in blood type AB individuals vs. other (p=0.65) when controlling for age, BMI, and gestational age was found. Four-way comparisons between the 4 individual blood types (AB, A, B, O) did not show differences in any of the tested outcomes.

Conclusion: Maternal AB blood type yields a potential positive association with gestational hypertension, however AB blood type has no other associations with any other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. No other significant association was found between maternal blood type and adverse obstetrical outcomes. Physicians should not rely on maternal blood type as a reliable indicator of potential obstetrical outcomes or when identifying high-risk mothers.

Published Date: 2025-06-19; Received Date: 2025-05-20