Late onset preeclampsia is not an innocuous condition

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Perinatology

Background:

• Late-onset preeclampsia (LOPE) is a significant obstetric complication.
• Understanding the profile and outcomes of LOPE is crucial for clinical management.
• Previous studies may not fully capture the severity and complications associated with LOPE in specific populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with late-onset preeclampsia.
• To evaluate the maternal and perinatal outcomes in a cohort of women with LOPE.
• To identify the incidence of severe maternal complications and perinatal mortality in LOPE.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study design was employed.
• Data were collected from 264 singleton pregnancies presenting before delivery.
• The study was conducted across two referral centers in South Africa.

Main Results:

• The majority of patients (56.8%) were primigravid.
• A significant proportion (57.6%) presented with severe preeclampsia.
• Major maternal complications, including eclampsia (12.9%), occurred in 30.7% of patients. No maternal or early neonatal deaths were recorded, but five intrauterine deaths occurred, primarily due to placental abruption, resulting in a perinatal mortality rate of 18.9 per thousand births.

Conclusions:

• Late-onset preeclampsia frequently manifests as severe disease.
• The findings highlight the need for vigilant monitoring and management of LOPE to mitigate maternal and perinatal complications.
• Placental abruption is a significant risk factor for intrauterine death in LOPE.