Placenta previa : risk factors and fetomaternal outcome

Abstract EN

Objectives : To study the incidence, predisposing factors, and complications of placenta previa at the main referral maternity hospital in the eastern part of Libya.

Methods This is a retrospective study of the 73 cases of placenta previa admitted to Al-Jamahiriya Hospital in Benghazi, Libya from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1998.

Results : The incidence of placenta previa was 0.24%.

Predisposing factors included age above 30 years (54.8%), multiparity (53.5%), grand multiparity (43.9%), history of previous cesarean section (15.1%), and history of previous abortion (28.7%).

The vast majority of the patients (90.4%) presented with bleeding.

Placentas were type II and type III in 82.2% of the cases, and more than half (57.7%) were of posterior location.

All of the patients were hospitalized and delivered by cesarean section.

More than half (54.8%) of the cases received blood transfusion either prior to or during surgery.

Placenta accreta was associated with 2 cases.

Hysterectomy was performed in 3 cases.

Most infants were delivered near term (80.8%) and of weight>2000 grams (84.2%).

The perinatal mortality rate was 8%, mostly due to prematurity (19.2%).

There was 1 maternal death (1.4%).

Conclusion : Advanced maternal age, increasing parity, previous abortion and previous cesarean section were the most frequently noted risk factors.

There was no association noted between multiple cesarean sections or abortions, race, diabetes, multiparity and increased risk of placenta previa.

None of the women in this study smoked.

There was no relation noted between placenta previa and the presence of congenital anomalies or newborns noted to be small for gestational age.