Complete versus incomplete placenta previa and obstetric outcome

Objective: To compare obstetric outcome in women with complete versus incomplete placenta previa (PP). Methods: A 10-year retrospective case–control study was conducted between 1992 and 2001. A 202 singleton pregnancies with PP were analyzed. Results: The incidence of PP was 0.4%. Complete PP comprised 32.7% and incomplete PP 67.3% of cases. No difference was observed in the frequency of antepartum hemorrhage. Women with complete PP had significantly higher requirement for antepartum and postpartum transfusions, higher frequency of postpartum hemorrhage and postpartum hysterectomy. The risk for placenta accreta was increased in complete PP group even after controlling for confounding factors (adjusted OR = 3.75, 95% CI = 1.11–12.68, p < 0.05). No difference in the frequency of preterm delivery was found between the groups. Term infants of mothers with complete PP had significantly lower birth weight (3205 vs. 3360, p = 0.04). Conclusion: Complete PP is a high-risk subgroup of PP associated with higher maternal morbidity in comparison to incomplete PP.