| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3005413 | Pregnancy Hypertension: An International Journal of Women's Cardiovascular Health | 2015 | 7 Pages |
•Early onset pre-eclampsia has been associated with adverse foetal outcomes.•Maternal outcomes in this group are less certain.•We compared maternal outcomes in early vs term pre-eclampsia.•Maternal outcomes were not found to be dissimilar.•Highlighting that pre-eclampsia is a serious maternal disorder regardless of gestation.
ObjectiveTo determine if women with early onset pre-eclampsia (EOP) have worse maternal outcomes than those who present later. Specifically, we aimed to determine whether term preeclamptic women and their infants have better outcomes than either their late pre-term or early onset counterparts.Study designBetween 1991 and 2011, 4657 pregnancies complicated by hypertension were recorded in our database; 2148 (45%) had pre-eclampsia (PE). Six hundred ninety six cases (32%) that had accurate data for the gestation at which PE developed were analysed. Pre-eclampsia was defined as per the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy guidelines. Maternal outcomes included (1) episodes of severe hypertension, (2) proteinuria, (3) acute kidney injury, (4) abnormal liver function, (5) thrombocytopenia and (6) neurological complications. Perinatal outcomes were also analysed.ResultsEighty seven (13%) of 696 cases had EOP; 226 (32%) had late pre-term PE and 383 (55%) term PE. Maternal age was similar amongst the three groups. Women with late pre-term and term PE had similar rates of maternal and foetal outcomes. Compared with term PE, women with EOP had similar rates of adverse maternal outcomes, however their babies had significantly increased rates of morbidity and mortality.ConclusionPre-eclampsia causes significant maternal organ involvement regardless of gestation at onset. Outcomes for babies of women with EOP are significantly worse than for those who present later. Overall, women presenting with PE after 34 weeks have generally good maternal and foetal outcomes in a unit equipped to manage such cases.
