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Table 1 Maternal, pregnancy and placental characteristics according to gestational age in a prospective observational study of 315 singleton term placentas meeting the criteria for referral to histopathologic examination

From: Placental pathology and neonatal morbidity: exploring the impact of gestational age at birth

 

Early-term

Term

Late-term

Post-term

 
 

GA 370-386

GA 390-406

GA 410-416

GA 420 – 422

 

Maternal and pregnancy characteristics

n = 118

n = 130

n = 55

n = 12

P-valuea

Maternal country of origin, n/N (%)

    

0.432

Norway

104/118 (88.1)

119/130 (91.5)

46/55 (83.6)

11/12 (91.7)

 

Other

14/118 (11.9)

11/130 (8.5)

9/55 (16.4)

1/12 (8.3)

 

Age (years), mean (SD)

31.4 (5.0)

31.2 (5.2)

31.6 (4.6)

30.4 (4.0)

 

BMI (kg/m²), mean (SD)

24.0 (4.4)

24.5 (5.3)

24.8 (5.0)

26.7 (4.4)

 

Smoking, n/N (%)

5/117 (4.3)

4/129 (3.1)

2/55 (3.6)

1/12 (8.3)

0.639

Para 0, n/N (%)

57/118 (48.3)

86/130 (66.2)

35/55 (63.6)

8/12 (66.7)

0.029

Preeclampsiab, n/N (%)

26/118 (22.0)

32/130 (24.6)

7/55 (12.7)

2/12 (16.7)

0.339

Severe preeclampsiac, n/N (%)

12/118 (10.2)

12/130 (9.2)

1/55 (1.8)

0/12 (0.0)

0.195

Clinical chorioamnionitis, n/N (%)

3/118 (2.5)

8/130 (6.2)

4/55 (7.3)

3/12 (25.0)

0.023

Pregestational diabetes, n/N (%)

8/118 (6.8)

5/130 (3.8)

0/55 (0.0)

0/12 (0.0)

0.206

Gestational diabetes, n/N (%)

8/118 (6.8)

8/130 (6.2)

3/55 (5.5)

1/12 (8.3)

0.922

PROM, n/N (%)

7/110 (6.4)

5/124 (4.0)

1/52 (1.9)

0/12 (0.0)

0.679

Onset of labor, n/N (%)

    

< 0.001

Spontaneous

45/118 (38.1)

79/130 (60.8)

24/55 (43.6)

2/12 (16.7)

 

Induced

63/118 (53.4)

51/130 (39.2)

31/55 (56.4)

9/12 (75.0)

 

Elective Caesarean

10/118 (8.5)

0/130 (0.0)

0/55 (0.0)

1/12 (8.3)

 

Mode of delivery, n/N (%)

    

0.0471

Spontaneous vaginal

52/118 (44.1)

54/130 (41.5)

18/55 (32.7)

3/12 (25.0)

 

Forceps

19/118 (16.1)

18/130 (13.8)

4/55 (7.3)

2/12 (16.7)

 

Vacuum

3/118 (2.5)

12/130 (9.2)

7/55 (12.7)

1/12 (8.3)

 

Elective Cesarean

10/118 (8.5)

1/130 (0.8)

0/55 (0.0)

1/12 (8.3)

 

Emergency Cesarean

34/118 (28.8)

45/130 (34.6)

26/55 (47.3)

5/12 (41.7)

 

Neonatal characteristics

     

Birthweight (g), mean (SD)

2830 (530)

3302 (555)

3646 (594)

3689 (567)

 

Birth length (cm), mean (SD)

47.8 (2.7)

50.1 (2.3)

51.4 (2.1)

51.0 (1.4)

 

Head circumference (cm), mean (SD)

33.7 (1.4)

34.5 (1.5)

35.7 (1.6)

35.8 (1.5)

 

Small for gestational aged, n/N (%)

57/118 (48.3)

41/130 (31.5)

10/55 (18.2)

1/12 (8.3)

< 0.001

Large for gestational agee, n/N (%)

6/118 (5.1)

7/130 (5.4)

5/55 (9.1)

1/12 (8.3)

0.544

5-min Apgar score < 7, n/N (%)

13/118 (11.0)

15/130 (11.5)

2/55 (3.6)

2/12 (16.7)

0.231

Umbilical artery pH < 7.0, n/N (%)

4/94 (4.3)

7/106 (6.6)

2/48 (4.2)

2/9 (22.2)

0.195

NICU transfer, n/N (%)

28/118 (23.7)

21/130 (16.2)

14/55 (25.5)

6/12 (50.0)

0.037

Stillbirth, n/N (%)

5/118 (4.2)

8/130 (6.2)

0/55 (0.0)

0/12 (0.0)

0.270

Composite adverse outcomef, n/N (%)

37/118 (31.4)

33/130 (25.4)

14/55 (25.5)

6/12 (50.0)

0.256

Placental and cord characteristics

     

Trimmed weight (g), mean (SD)

441 (121)

494 (112)

551 (137)

513 (104)

 

Marginal/velamentous cord insertion, n/N (%)

8/118 (6.8)

16/130 (12.3)

3/55 (5.5)

1/12 (8.3)

0.392

Coiling index

    

0.283

Hypocoiled (< 1 coil/10 cm)

1/115 (0.9)

2/123 (1.6)

1/55 (1.8)

0/12 (0.0)

 

Hypercoiled (> 3 coils/10 cm)

34/115 (29.6)

41/123 (33.3)

9/55 (16.4)

4/12 (33.3)

 

Microscopic diagnosis

     

No pathologyg, n/N (%)

13/118 (11.0)

12/130 (9.2)

7/55 (12.7)

1/12 (8.3)

0.907

Histologic chorioamnionitis, n/N (%)

     

Maternal inflammatory responseh

9/118 (7.6)

21/130 (16.2)

11/55 (20.0)

5/12 (41.7)

0.004

Fetal inflammatory responsei

10/118 (8.5)

27/130 (20.8)

14/55 (25.5)

5/12 (41.7)

0.001

Maternal vascular malperfusion

61/118 (51.7)

59/130 (45.4)

17/55 (30.9)

4/12 (33.3)

0.064

Fetal vascular malperfusion

11/118 (9.3)

11/130 (8.5)

3/55 (5.5)

0/12 (0.0)

0.772

Delayed villous maturation

20/118 (16.9)

27/130 (20.8)

7/55 (12.7)

1/12 (8.3)

0.554

Villitis/intervillositis

13/118 (11.0)

8/130 (6.2)

2/55 (3.6)

1/12 (8.3)

0.755

Two or more abnormalities

38/118 (32.2)

46/130 (35.4)

9/55 (16.4)

5/12 (41.7)

0.047

  1. Abbreviations: GA = gestational age; SD = standard deviation; BMI = body mass index; PROM = prelabour rupture of membranes; NICU = neonatal intensive care unit; HELLP = hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets
  2. aChi-square or Fisher’s exact test, bIncluding four cases with hypertension in pregnancy, cIncluding HELLP syndrome and eclampsia, dBirthweight < 5 percentile, eBirthweight > 90 percentile, fIncluding any of the following: 5-min Apgar score < 7, umbilical artery pH < 7.0, NICU transfer, stillbirth, gIncluding cases with Maternal inflammatory response stage 1 if no other placental pathology present, hMaternal inflammatory response dichotomised into no response/stage 1 versus stage 2 or 3 (0/1), iFetal inflammatory response dichotomised into no response versus any stage (0/1)
  3. 1Dichotomised, early-term/term versus late-term/post-term
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BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

ISSN: 1471-2393

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