Objective: To clarify the capability of identifying risk factors for placental abruption (PA) during the antenatal and the peripartum period.
Methods: Case-controlled study with matched pairs (1:5) was conducted. In total, 123 women with PA and 615 without PA who delivered singleton babies after 24 weeks of gestation were enrolled. The subjects were subdivided into three groups: women with PA during labor and delivery, PA during the antenatal period and clinically small PA. The clinical risk factors for PA in these groups were analyzed.
Results: After performing multivariate logistic regression analyses, the risk factors for PA during labor and delivery were identified to be the presence of anemia before 20 weeks [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.05] and small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses (aOR 5.20), while the risk factors for PA during the antenatal period were identified to be SGA fetuses (aOR 5.39), preterm uterine contractions (aOR 5.96) and preeclampsia (aOR 3.37). The risk factor associated with clinically small PA was the presence of anemia before 20 weeks (aOR 6.41).
Conclusions: It was likely that the etiologies differ between cases of PA that occur during the antenatal period and cases that occur after the onset of labor.