Fractures within 2 years of an obstetric hospitalization: analysis of nationwide administrative data in Japan.

Introduction: Pregnancy- and lactation-associated osteoporosis (PLO) is a condition in which young women develop fractures during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Though PLO is a severely debilitating disease, its pathophysiology and epidemiology have not been clarified and its treatment has not been established. We aimed to identify the incidence and factors associated with fractures occurring within 2 years following an obstetric hospitalization.

Materials And Methods: We extracted data on fractures occurring within 2 years of an obstetric hospitalization from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. We analyzed the implementation of bone mineral density and bone metabolism marker tests, prescription status, and factors associated with fractures occurring within 2 years of an obstetric hospitalization.

Results: Among 837,347 patients with a history of obstetric hospitalization from 2010 to 2014, 379 patients had a history of hospitalization due to a fracture occurring within 2 years (4.5/10,000 pregnancies). Among the patients with fractures occurring within 2 years of an obstetric hospitalization, 6.7% underwent bone mineral quantification or a bone metabolism marker test, and 7.5% were prescribed a lactation inhibitor or osteoporosis treatment. Factors associated with fractures occurring within 2 years following an obstetric hospitalization identified included Cushing syndrome, Charlson Comorbidity Index score ≥ 1, age ≥ 40 years old at pregnancy, smoking history, and steroid administration.

Conclusion: We investigated fracture cases occurring within 2 years of an obstetrics hospitalization. This finding may be useful in selecting preventative measures for patients at risk of fractures within 2 years after obstetric hospitalization, including PLO.