MIDTRIMESTER BLEEDING - VARIABLES WHICH AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF PREGNANCY

A prospective study of 65 women with midtrimester bleeding was undertaken in order to assess the outcome of pregnancy and to determine variables which significantly affect it. Of the entire group, 48 (73.8%) delivered after 26 weeks of gestation (39 of them at term). The total fetal loss (abortions plus perinatal deaths) was 31.8%. Three patients who needed blood transfusions subsequently required immediate termination of pregnancy due to severe bleeding. Discriminant analysis revealed that three independent variables had a significantly unfavorable effect on the outcome of the pregnancies: a decrease in hemoglobin of more than 1 g%, duration of hospitalization (reflecting duration of bleeding) of more than 1 week and the presence of a previous uterine scar.