A comparative study of feto-maternal outcomes in women with anterior and posterior placenta previa

Placenta previa is a common cause of third-trimester hemorrhage. This complication is associated with feto-maternal complications and requires special care since it results in high-risk pregnancy. The site of placental implantation can affect the feto-maternal outcomes, such as postpartum hemorrhage, need for blood transfusion, and cesarean hysterectomy, in the females with placenta previa. Regarding this, the aim of the present study was to compare the feto-maternal outcomes of placenta previa between the pregnant women with anterior placenta previa and those with posterior placenta previa.
This descriptive-analytic study was conducted on 54 patients undergoing pregnancy termination due to placenta previa diagnosed based on ultrasound evidence at Imam Reza Hospital affiliated to Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran, within 2008-2014. The maternal and fetal variables were extracted from the patient's medical records by means of a checklist. Data analysis was performed in SPSS (version 20) using Chi-square test, and independent t-test, Mann Whitney U test, and Fisher's exact test. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The abnormal adherence of placenta was more frequent in the females with anterior placenta previa than in those with posterior placenta previa. Furthermore, 12 (44.4%) and 5 (18.5%) out of 27 cases required hysterectomy in the anterior and posterior groups, respectively. Therefore, the two groups showed a significant difference in this regard (P=0.04). In addition, there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the need for blood transfusion (P=0.021). Accordingly, 13 (48.1%) and 5 (18.5%) patients needed blood transfusion in the anterior and posterior groups, respectively. However, no significant difference was observed between the two study groups considering the birth weight (P=0.949) and Apgar score (P=0.623).
As the findings of this study indicated, there was a significant difference between the women with anterior placenta previa and those with posterior placenta previa in terms of the need for hysterectomy and blood transfusion. Consequently, it is recommended to consider the location of placenta prior to the adoption of preoperative strategies for the patients with placenta previa.