Maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with severe early onset pre-eclampsia before 26 weeks of gestation, a case series

Abstract

Objective: To describe the maternal and neonatal outcomes and prolongation of pregnancies with severe early onset pre-eclampsia before 26 weeks of gestation.

Design: Nationwide case series.

Setting: All Dutch tertiary perinatal care centres.

Population: All women diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia who delivered between 22 and 26 weeks of gestation in a tertiary perinatal care centre in the Netherlands, between 2008 and 2014.

Methods: Women were identified through computerised hospital databases. Data were collected from medical records.

Main outcome measures: Maternal complications [HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzyme levels, and low platelet levels) syndrome, eclampsia, pulmonary oedema, cerebrovascular incidents, hepatic capsular rupture, placenta abruption, renal failure, and maternal death], neonatal survival and complications (intraventricular haemorrhage, retinopathy of prematurity, necrotising enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and sepsis), and outcome of subsequent pregnancies (recurrent pre-eclampsia, premature delivery, and neonatal survival).

Results: We studied 133 women, delivering 140 children. Maternal complications occurred frequently (54%). Deterioration of HELLP syndrome during expectant care occurred in 48%, after 4 days. Median prolongation was 5 days (range: 0-25 days). Neonatal survival was poor (19%), and was worse (6.6%) if the mother was admitted before 24 weeks of gestation. Complications occurred frequently among survivors (84%). After active support, neonatal survival was comparable with the survival of spontaneous premature neonates (54%). Pre-eclampsia recurred in 31%, at a mean gestational age of 32 weeks and 6 days.

Conclusions: Considering the limits of prolongation, women need to be counselled carefully, weighing the high risk for maternal complications versus limited neonatal survival and/or extreme prematurity and its sequelae. The positive prospects regarding maternal and neonatal outcome in future pregnancies can supplement counselling.

Tweetable abstract: Severe early onset pre-eclampsia comes with high maternal complication rates and poor neonatal survival.

Keywords: Maternal and neonatal outcome; preterm birth; prolongation; severe pre-eclampsia.