Risk factors in early pregnancy complications.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the underlying risk factors in early pregnancy complications and outcome. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: This study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit-IV, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, from July 2007 to June 2008. METHODOLOGY: All the women with first trimester pregnancy with different complications were included in this study while those women with uneventful first trimester were excluded. The inducted women were registered on pre-designed proforma. Studied variables including demographic details, gestational period, type of complications, risk factors, treatment and outcome. The data was expressed in terms of mean and percentages with a confidence interval of 95%. Analysis was done on SPSS version 14. RESULTS: Out of a 204 total admissions, 115 (56.37%) patients had different early pregnancy complications. Their mean age was 29.4+6.8 years. Commonest complications found were abortion in 88 (76.52%) cases. The underlying risk factors found in abortion were antiphospholipid syndrome in 5 (5.68%) cases, Diabetes mellitus in 8 (9.09%) cases, hypertension in 16 (18.18%) cases, and polycystic ovarian syndrome and infection in 11 (12.5%) cases each. Most of the cases 69 (60%) were treated by minor surgical procedures, and 22 (19.13%) cases responded with conservative medical therapy. Outcome were anaemia in 92 (79.3%) cases, psychological upset in 72 (62.1%), infection in 55 (44%) cases and coagulopathy in 9 (7.8%) cases. CONCLUSION: Abortion was found as the most frequent early pregnancy complication and the most frequent underlying risk factor was hypertension. Outcome included anaemia, psychological upset and infection.