Publication:

Postdated pregnancy: a risk factor for adverse maternal and perinatal outcome

Background The study's objective is to contrast maternal and perinatal outcomes in postdated and term pregnancies in order to better understand the related risks and difficulties.

Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ANMMCH, Gaya, between June 2019 and May 2023. The study comprised 474 women, separated into two groups: term (37-40 weeks) and postdated (>40 weeks). Data were gathered from medical records, with an emphasis on maternal and fetal problems. The statistical analysis used Student's t-tests and Chi-square.

Results The present study involving 474 pregnant women (postdated-186, term-288) revealed that postdated pregnancies had greater risks of maternal problems, such as postpartum hemorrhage (34 vs. 18 instances, p=0.0001), cervical tears (6 vs. 5 cases, p=0.354), as well as postpartum infections (8vs.11 case, p=0.8137). Furthermore, perineal injuries occurred more frequently in postdated pregnancies (15 vs. 7 incidence, p=0.0064). Fetal problems were also more common, with shoulder dystocia (4 vs. 5 case, p = 0.7426) and meconium aspiration (20 vs. 16 instances, p = 0.0497). The rate of fetal hypoxia was considerably higher in postdated pregnancies (8 vs. 6 instance, p=0.1756). A higher proportion of term pregnancies had no issues (250 vs. 128 instances, p=0.00001), indicating that term births are relatively safe.

Conclusions The study found that postdated pregnancies are associated with greater maternal and fetal problems, demanding close monitoring and timely interventions.