Association between placental implantation abnormalities and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

This study aimed to investigate the association between placental implantation abnormalities (PIAs) and gestational hypertension-preeclampsia (GH-PE) in pregnant women.

Patients were recruited from 2010 to 2019 into this retrospective study at the International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital. PIAs were classified as follows: placenta previa (PP), low-lying placenta (LP), placenta accreta, and placenta adherence (PA). Logistic regression models were constructed to analyze the associations between placental abnormalities and GH-PE. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to reduce confounders. The relationship between PP with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) and GH-PE were assessed.

In total, 5527 women were recruited, and 2614 women had an abnormal placenta (992 with LP; 749 with PP 839 and PA; and 34 with placenta accreta). There were 296 patients with GH-PE in those groups. After adjustments for confounding factors, women with PP had a lower risk of PE (odds ratio [OR]: 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19-0.86, p = 0.025) than those in the control group. Women with PA had a higher risk of GH-PE (OR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.05-1.99, p = 0.022). In addition, we categorized PP into marginal, complete, and partial PP and investigated these associations. We found a lower risk of PE in complete PP (OR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01-0.44, p = 0.020) than in marginal or partial PP. There was no significant difference regarding GH-PE in the PP with PAS group (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.82-2.34, p = 0.525).

PP, especially complete PP, is associated with a lower risk of PE. PA is associated with higher risks of GH-PE.