The occurrence of abruptio placentae in Canada: 1990 to 1997

Abruptio placentae is a serious obstetric condition associated with an increased incidence of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Despite this, there is little information on the occurrence of abruptio placentae in Canada. The Discharge Abstract Database from the Canadian Institute for Health Information was used to identify a cohort of women who had singleton live or stillbirth deliveries in Canada between 1990 and 1997 (n = 2,162,815). Rates of abruptio placentae and abruptio placentae ending in stillbirth were examined by calendar year, province, maternal age and urban/rural status. There is a trend towards an increasing rate of abruptio placentae by year, from 10.9 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 10.5-11.3) cases/1000 deliveries in 1990 to a high of 12.1 (95% CI 11.6-12.5) cases/1000 deliveries in 1996, while the rate ending in stillbirth remained relatively constant. The abruptio placentae rate was highest in mothers over 40 years of age and the case-fatality rate highest in those under 20. These results provide a baseline reference for rates of abruptio placentae in Canada.