Maternal Outcomes in Women with Major Degree Placenta Previa: An Observational Cohort Study

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the maternal outcomes among pregnant women with major degree placenta previa. Methods: We conducted an observational cohort study on 80 pregnant women diagnosed with major placenta previa (grades III and IV where the placenta partially or completely cover the internal cervical os) after 20 weeks of pregnancy, within the period from January 2019 to June 2019. The diagnosis of placenta previa was made by ultrasound and confirmed at the time of delivery. The study participants were divided into three groups based on the placental location (Anterior, Central, and Posterior). All analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS software package version 20.0. Results: Eighty pregnant women, with a mean age of 32.3 (5.01) years and a mean gestational age of 36.2 (2.03) weeks, were included in our study. Of them, 56.30% had a previous abortion, and previous Cs delivery was reported in 75%. Most of the placenta previa cases were central (52.5%), with a completely covered internal cervical os (70%). Thirty-nine patients (48.8%) had placenta accreta. Blood transfusion, postpartum hemorrhage, and anemia were noted with a percentage of 75%, 32.5%, and 32.5%, respectively. Around 28.8% of the included patients had a hysterectomy. Before and after delivery, nine patients (21.4%) and 15 patients (35.7%) of the placenta previa centralis group had anemia, respectively. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between the three studies groups in terms of anemia before and after delivery (P= 0.41 and P= 0.78. respectively). Placenta previa centralis showed a higher incidence of CS hysterectomy (45.2%) while wound infection was higher in anterior placenta previa (18.2%). Conclusion: As a predictor of possible obstetric adverse events, placenta previa should be considered. A combination of proper clinical assessment and timely delivery to reduce the associated complications should be considered as well as developing a prenatal screening protocol.