Publication:

Maternal and fetal outcome in women experiencing first trimester vaginal bleed: a multicentric approach

Background Vaginal bleeding before 12 weeks of gestation is relatively common obstetric event complicating nearly 25% of all pregnant women. In this study we examined the maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnant women who experienced bleeding throughout the first trimester of their pregnancy.

Method A multicentre prospective cohort study was carried out at the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Egmore and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sri Venkateshwara Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Puducherry from June 2023 to May 2024. In a one-year period, 200 cases were chosen, with 100 pregnant women with first trimester haemorrhage and 100 women with no bleeding serving as control groups. Following informed consent, women were recruited into the study.

Results In this study we observed maternal outcome of preterm delivery (37% vs 12%), LSCS (41% vs 14%), 2nd trimester abortion (12% vs 3%), PPROM (13% vs 2%), anaemia (32% vs 27%), PPH (25% vs 7%) and PIH (24% vs 12%) were observed significantly higher in study group than control group (p=<0.05). Regarding fetal complications Low birth weight (32% vs 8%), NICU admission (33% vs 8%), APGAR <7 (25% vs 6%), premature baby (22% vs 4%) was observed significantly higher in study group (p=<0.05)

Conclusion We concluded from this study that during the first trimester, women with vaginal bleeding face a higher chance of undesirable pregnancy outcomes and require more care and consultation. These instances should be regarded as high-risk pregnancy and treated accordingly, or referred to better-equipped medical clinics to lessen the chance of difficulties.