Korean J Perinatol.  2004 Dec;15(4):362-368.

Perinatal Outcome in Relation to the Latency of Delivery in Severe Preeclampsia before 32 Weeks of Gestation

• Min JA
• Lee SH
• Choi CH
• Choi SJ
• Kim JU
• Lee ES
• Son YS
• Kim JH
• Roh CR

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To study the differences in the pregnancy outcomes of severe preeclampsia before 32 weeks of gestation in relation to the latency between admission and delivery.
METHODS
We reviewed medical records of 89 pregnant women who were managed in Samsung Medical Center because of severe preeclampsia before 32 weeks of gestation between January 1996 and February 2004. We studied the differences in the management and the neonatal outcomes between the immediate delivery group (admission to delivery < or =2 days) and the expectant management group (admission to delivery>2 days). We excluded maternal renal disease, chronic hypertension, multiple pregnancies, diabetes and placenta previa from this study.
RESULTS
40 women were included in the immediate delivery group and 49 women in the expectant management group. Antenatal corticosteroid was given pregnant women in the expectant management group (89.8% vs. 52.5%, p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of small for gestational age- and prematurity-related complications including neonatal mortality. There was significantly less respiratory distress syndrome in the expectant management group (46.9% vs. 62.5%, p=0.0315). However this difference disappeared when the adjustment was made to the gestational age at delivery (p=0.223).
CONCLUSION
The latency period does not seem to alter the neonatal prognosis in severe preeclampsia before 32 weeks of gestation but the gestational age at the delivery, a reflection of the severity of the preeclampsia, seems to be the single most important factor for the occurrence of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

Keyword

Severe preeclampsia; Aggressive management; Expectant management; Pregnancy outcomes

MeSH Terms

Female
Gestational Age
Humans
Hypertension
Infant
Infant Mortality
Latency Period (Psychology)
Medical Records
Placenta Previa
Pre-Eclampsia*
Pregnancy Outcome
Pregnancy*
Pregnancy, Multiple
Pregnant Women
Prognosis
Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn