Impact on pregnancy outcomes of exposure to military stress during the first or second trimester as compared with the third trimester

Objective To compare pregnancy outcomes after exposure to military stress in different trimesters of pregnancy. Methods A retrospective study of medical records of deliveries in the Wolfson (WMC) and Barzilai (BMC) medical centers in Israel between July 2014 and April 2015. All parturients were exposed to military stress for 51 days during pregnancy. Pregnancy outcomes were compared between those exposed to military stress in the first or second trimester, and those exposed in the third trimester. Outcomes were also compared between WMC (a new‐onset military stress exposure area) and BMC (a chronic military stress exposure area). Results At WMC, women exposed in the first or second trimester (n=2657) had a higher rate of preterm delivery (