Abruptio placentae: perinatal outcome in normotensive and hypertensive patients

The objective of this study was to compare perinatal outcomes of hypertensive and normotensive women experiencing abruptio placentae. Our hypothesis is that hypertensive women have a less favorable perinatal outcome than do normotensive women.

Women with the diagnosis of abruptio placentae delivered between July 1, 1988, and May 31, 1992, composed the study group (n = 226) in this case-control study. The incidence of abruptio placentae was 0.7% during this time. Those women with either multifetal gestations (n = 4) or delivery before 20 weeks' gestation (n = 2) were excluded from data analysis. The remaining 220 patients were divided according to their hypertensive (n = 29) or normotensive (n = 191) status. Maternal and neonatal medical records were reviewed and abstracted for demographic variables, antepartum complications, delivery route, abruptio placentae grade, neonatal gender, birth weight, Apgar score, cord pH, and perinatal mortality. These perinatal outcome variables were compared between the hypertensive and normotensive patient groups.

Black women with abruptio placentae were significantly more likely to be hypertensive (p = 0.0078). Hypertensive women with abruptio placentae had the antepartum complication diabetes mellitus significantly more often than did normotensive women (p = 0.032). However, they were similar to normotensive women with regard to the frequency of positive urine drug screen and trauma. Hypertensive women were no more likely to be delivered before 32 or 37 weeks' gestation, have neonates weighing < 1500 or 2500 gm, or to be delivered by cesarean section. Abruptio placentae grades 2 and 3 occurred more often in hypertensive women (p = 0.053), as did significantly lower umbilical cord artery (p = 0.005) and venous (p = 0.003) pH values. Neonates from hypertensive women were no more likely to have low 5-minute Apgar scores or to die than those from normotensive women.

Although hypertensive women experiencing abruptio placentae are more likely to have higher-grade abruptio placentae and lower umbilical cord pH values, the overall perinatal outcome was not significantly different from that of normotensive women experiencing abruptio placentae.