A 5-Year Experience of Placental Abruption in Two Tertiary Health Facilities in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Abruptio placentae is an obstetric emergency associated with severe maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries. Antenatal care, prompt diagnosis and timely delivery, when indicated, are important aspects of clinical management. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and fetomaternal outcomes of abruptio placentae. Method: This retrospective study examined the maternal and fetal outcomes of 208 cases of abruptio placentae managed at delta state university teaching hospital, oghara, and central hospital, warri, nigeria, between 1 january 2017 and 31 december 2022. Details of the patients were obtained from hospital records and entered into a data collection proforma. Data were analysed using the statistical package for the social sciences (spss), version 22. Results: There were 22,108 deliveries and 208 cases of abruptio placentae during the study period, corresponding to an incidence of 0.94%. Women aged 31 years and above accounted for 60.1% of cases. Most patients (66.3%) had a parity of 1–4, while 59.6% were booked. Hypertension in pregnancy was recorded in 56.7% of cases. Fourteen early neonatal deaths (6.7% of the 208 cases) were reported. Conclusion: Placental abruption was associated with maternal and perinatal complications in the two facilities. These findings support the importance of antenatal care, timely presentation and prompt obstetric assessment.