11 May Endometriosis Linked to Higher Risk of Congenital Anomalies in Offspring, Large Ontario Study Finds

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Bailey Milne

Bailey Milne
PhD Graduate Student | Epidemiology
Queen’s University | Department of Public Health Sciences
Kingston, ON

A large population-based study using health administrative data from Ontario examines whether endometriosis is associated with an increased risk of congenital anomalies in offspring — with findings that suggest increased monitoring may be warranted for affected pregnancies.

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

The study was conducted using health administrative data in Ontario. The data was from 2006 to 2021, which resulted in over 1.4 million mother-baby pairs.

Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition where the uterine lining grows outside of the uterus, which can result in painful menstruation, intercourse and bowel movements. Roughly 10% of reproductive aged patients have endometriosis, and of those, 30–60% have infertility.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Endometriosis in the patient was independently associated with a higher risk of any congenital anomaly. Specific anomalies with the highest associated risks included unspecified cleft palate, hypospadias, and pulmonary artery stenosis.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Increased monitoring and clinical counselling may be warranted for people with endometriosis who become pregnant.

Overall, the risk of these anomalies is low and they are not common.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

There is a hypothesis that it is the inflammation that might lead to the increased risk, as there have been some published studies that show inflammation can impact gene expression; however, these are limited and often lab-based so may not translate well to humans. Further research is definitely needed to elucidate the cause.

Citation:

Risk of congenital anomalies among infants of patients with endometriosis: a population-based cohort study

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Last Updated on May 11, 2026 by Marie Benz MD FAAD