Lower gestational age is associated with severe maternal morbidity of preterm cesarean delivery

To evaluate whether gestational age was associated with the severe maternal morbidity (SMM) of preterm cesarean delivery between 22 and 34 weeks of gestation (weeks).

We performed an observational retrospective cohort study in two tertiary university hospitals in 2018. We included all mothers of preterm infants born by caesarean delivery between 22 and 34 weeks, excluding mothers with multiple births greater than two, with pregnancy terminations or stillbirths, and who died unrelated to obstetrical causes. The principal endpoint, SMM, was a composite outcome (classical uterine incision, postpartum hemorrhage defined by blood loss ≥ 500 mL, blood transfusion, any injury to adjacent organs, unplanned procedure/need for reintervention, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay longer than 24 h, postpartum fever, and/or death).

Among the 252 women, SMM occurred in 89 (35.3 %) cases. After multivariate analysis, gestational age was independently associated with SMM (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 0.87; 95 % Confidence Interval [CI] 0.78-0.97). The other variables statistically associated with SMM were type of pregnancy with a negative association with twin pregnancy (aOR, 0.44; 95 % CI, 0.20-0.93) and a positive association with general anesthesia (aOR, 2.52; 95 % CI, 1.25-5.13). A sensitivity analysis was performed and found an association, at the limit of significance, between gestational age < 28 weeks and SMM (aOR, 1.80; 95 % CI, 0.99-3.27, p = 0.05).

Lower gestational age was associated with the risk of SMM for preterm caesarean delivery between 22 and 34 weeks. Obstetricians should integrate this knowledge into their shared decision-making processes with parents.