Fetal Growth and Perinatal Outcome of Pregnancies Continuing After Threatened Abortion

Abstract

EDITORIAL COMMENT: We accepted this paper for publication because it provides some useful information on the outcome of a small series of women with threatened abortion who were followed carefully with serial ultrasonographic estimations. Although the results were excellent in comparison with the control series it should be noted that patients were excluded if delivery occurred before 28 weeks' gestation. This is an important point because threatened miscarriage may result in an increased incidence of premature births between 20–28 weeks' gestation and an increased incidence of fetal malformations in those pregnancies that terminate before 28 weeks. Nonetheless it is important to be able to reassure women who have had a threat to abort that if the pregnancy continues past 28 weeks there is no increased incidence of either major fetal malformations or perinatal deaths. A higher incidence of placenta praevia in patients with threatened miscarriage could also be hidden in a series excluding all those patients delivered before 28 weeks if those with placenta praevia were to deliver before this time. Other studies have also shown that pregnancies complicated by threatened abortion which proceed beyond 28 weeks' gestation have no significant increase in the incidence of prematurity, fetal growth retardation or major fetal malformations.(A) Evans JH, Beischer NA. The prognosis of threatened abortion. Med J Aust 1970; 2: 165–168.Summary: The present study was conducted with the aim to find out the effect of threatened abortion in the current pregnancy on the subsequent perinatal outcome and follow the growth pattern of the fetuses of such complicated pregnancies. The study group consisted of 55 women with threatened abortion and 55 women with normal pregnancies formed the control group. Most of the patients presented at 6–12 weeks' gestation. The fetal growth was monitored by both clinical as well as ultrasound (USG) parameters. The mean growth rates were almost identical throughout gestation. The mean values of each parameter of the study group were found lying within 95% confidence limit values of their control group. The apparent increased incidence of low lying placenta in early pregnancy probably contributed to threatened abortion. There was no significant difference in preterm delivery, low birth‐weight and overall perinatal outcome.