Obstetric Prognosis after Placental Abruption

OBJECTIVE: To assess obstetric outcome in women with a history of placental abruption. METHODS: We utilised the population-based birth registry data of Kuopio University Hospital to investigate pregnancy outcome in 59 women with prior placental abruption. The general obstetric population was used as a reference group in logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Recurrent placental abruption and associated adverse neonatal outcome occurred in 11.9% (7:59) of the women. If the disease did not recur, a history of placental abruption had no significant effects on birth weight, fetal distress or prematurity rate, whereas the incidence of pre-eclampsia was found to be increased. CONCLUSIONS: Women in whom placental abruption does not recur have a good outcome in their subsequent delivery, almost comparable to that in the general obstetric population. However, the recurrence rate of 11.9% is high (OR: 16.9, 95% CI: 8.2-34.9) when compared with the background incidence of placental abruption (0.7%).