Publication:

Maternal and perinatal outcomes in women with first trimester vaginal bleeding

Background First trimester bleeding is one of the common complications during pregnancy which affects almost 16-25% of all pregnancies. To evaluate and ascertain the adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes in pregnant women presenting with first trimester vaginal bleeding.

Methods Prospective case-control study. A case control study involving 60 pregnant women with vaginal bleeding in the first 13 weeks + 6 days of gestational age with 60 matched controls. The study period was from March 2015 to March 2016 and conducted at PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Results The complications seen in the study group were: first trimester abortion (16.7%), second trimester abortion (6.7%), preterm labour (25%), abruption (6.7%), neonatal intensive care admission (25%), ectopic (6.7%), IUGR (10%), IUD (1.7%) and PROM (8.3%). When compared with the parity matched controls there was statistically significant increase in first and second trimester abortions, preterm labour, abruption, NICU admission and ectopic pregnancy whereas there was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and intrauterine death (IUD).

Conclusions Women with first trimester vaginal bleeding had several adverse outcomes in both the mother and the fetus, and it is very important to explain about the possibility of these outcomes and ensure proper follow up with close antenatal surveillance.