Fetal, Infant and Maternal Outcomes among Women with Prolapsed Membranes Admitted before 29 Weeks Gestation

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined fetal, infant and maternal mortality and morbidity among pregnant women at very early gestation with an open cervix and prolapsed membranes. We carried out a study describing the outcomes of women hospitalized with prolapsed membranes at 22–28 weeks’ gestation. METHODS: We prospectively recruited women with singleton pregnancies admitted at 22–28 weeks’ gestation to tertiary hospitals of the Canadian Perinatal Network between 2005 and 2009. Time-to-delivery, perinatal death, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, severe neonatal morbidity and severe maternal morbidity were compared between women admitted at 22–25 vs. 26–28 weeks gestation. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: 129 women at 22–25 weeks gestation and 65 women at 26–28 weeks gestation were admitted to hospital and the median time-to-delivery was 4 days in both groups. Stillbirth rates were 12.4% vs 4.6% among women admitted at earlier vs later gestation (AOR 2.8, 95% CI 0.5–14.8), while perinatal death rates were 38.0% vs 6.1% (AOR 14.1, 95% CI 3.5–59.0), respectively. There were no significant differences in NICU admission and severe morbidity among live-born infants; 89.4% and 82.3% died or were admitted to NICU, (P value 0.18), and 53.9% vs 44.0% of NICU infants had severe neonatal morbidity (P value 0.28). Antibiotics, tocolysis and cerclage did not have a significant effect on perinatal death. Maternal death or severe maternal morbidity occurred in 8.5% and 6.2% of women admitted at 22–25 vs 26–28 weeks (AOR 1.2, 95% CI 0.4–4.2). CONCLUSION: Perinatal mortality among women with prolapsed membranes at very early gestation is high, although significantly lower among those admitted at a relatively later gestational age. Rates of adverse maternal outcomes are also high. This information can be used to counsel women with prolapsed membranes at 22 to 28 weeks gestation.