The environmental risk factors prior to conception associated with placental abruption: an umbrella review

BACKGROUND: The present umbrella review evaluated risk factors prior to conception associated with placental abruption based on meta-analyses and systematic reviews. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science until June 25, 2021. All meta-analyses that had focused on assessing the risk factors associated with placental abruption were included. We calculated summary effect estimates, 95% CI, heterogeneity I(2), 95% prediction interval, small-study effects, excess significance biases, and sensitive analysis. The quality of the meta-analyses was evaluated with A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2). RESULTS: There was no risk factor in the present umbrella review with the high level of evidence (class I or II). Eight risk factors including maternal asthma (RR 1.29 95% CI 1.14, 1.47), prior cesarean section (RR 1.38, 95% CI 1.35–1.42), cocaine using (RR 4.55, 95% CI 1.78–6.50), endometriosis (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.12–1.76), chronic hypertension (OR 3.13, 95% CI 2.04–4.80), advanced maternal age (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.35–1.54), maternal smoking (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.75–1.85) (RR 1.65, 95% CI 1.51–1.80), and use of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.70–2.06) were graded as suggestive evidence (class III). The other four risk factors including pre-pregnancy underweight (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.12–1.70), preeclampsia (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.47–2.04), uterine leiomyoma (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.38–3.88), and marijuana use (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.32–2.40) were graded as risk factors with weak evidence (class IV). CONCLUSION: Maternal asthma, prior cesarean section, cocaine use, endometriosis, chronic hypertension, advanced maternal age, maternal smoking, and use of ART, pre-pregnancy underweight, preeclampsia, uterine leiomyoma, and marijuana use were risk factors associated with placental abruption. Although factors associated with placental abruption have been investigated, the current meta-analytic associations cannot disentangle the complex etiology of placental abruption mainly due to their low quality of evidence. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13643-022-01915-6.