Potential prevention of stillbirth caused by placental abruption: a regional population-based study in Japan

Abstract

Objective: Placental abruption is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes including intrauterine fetal demise, which subsequently results in stillbirth. However, few studies have demonstrated the preventability of stillbirth due to placental abruption. Therefore, we evaluated the possibility of preventing stillbirth caused by placental abruption by reviewing all stillbirths in our region.

Methods: This study reviewed all stillbirths after 22 weeks of gestation in Shiga Prefecture, Japan from 2010 to 2019, excluding lethal disorders. We evaluated 350 stillbirth cases, with and without placental abruption.

Results: There were 32 stillbirths with PA and 318 without placental abruption. The probability of preventing stillbirth was significantly higher in patients with placental abruption than in those without (30% vs. 8%, p < 0.001). We also determined the recommendations for preventing stillbirths with placental abruption.

Conclusion: Some stillbirths caused by placental abruption can be prevented. We recommend improvements to perinatal maternal-fetal care and perinatal emergency transport systems.

Keywords: Placental abruption; intrauterine fetal death; population-based study; preventable death; stillbirth.