Perinatal Outcomes in Women with Preeclampsia: Experience of a Tertiary Referral Center

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between maternal-fetal outcomes and the severity of preeclampsia. Material and Method: A total of 528 singleton pregnancies diagnosed with preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome with pregnancies >24 weeks of gestation were retrospectively evaluated. For each patient, maternal age, gravidity, previous obstetric history, family history, gestational age at the time of hospitalization, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, presence of severe preeclampsia symptoms, laboratory values, dexamethasone use for the treatment of thrombocytopenia, route of delivery, maternal and perinatal outcomes were recorded. Results: Within the study period, the occurences of preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome and severe preeclampsia were 1.4%, 0.12% and 0.57%, respectively. In patients with HELLP syndrome, cesarean delivery rate, blood product transfusion, acute renal failure, liver function tests, D-dimer levels, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), preterm retinopathy, pulmonary hemorrhage and sepsis occurrences, were significantly higher than in patients with mild and severe preeclampsia. On the contrary, platelet counts were significantly lower . In patients with mild preeclampsia, gestational age at the time of delivery, vaginal delivery rate, 1 and 5 minute APGAR score and newborn birthweight were significantly higher when compared to patients with severe preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome. In contrast, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, neonatal intensive care unit admission rate, hospital stay, protein levels in 24 hr urine, and maternal hemoglobin levels were significantly lower in this group. Discussion: In the present study, it was found that HELLP syndrome was more frequently associated with maternal complications and neonatal morbidities. For the prevention of morbidities due to these unpredictable syndromes with unclear etiologies, pregestational medical evaluation and regular antenatal follow-up visits especially for high-risk women should be emphasized. Whenever possible, women diagnosed with severe preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome should be transferred to a tertiary medical center with adequate capabilities for maternal and neonatal intensive care in order to decrease perinatal morbidities