Certain Common Risk Factors Associated with Placenta Previa and Placenta Acreta: A comparative Study

During the reproductive period, postpartum hemorrhage is the third leading cause of maternal mortality following hypertension and thromboembolism in developing nations. Abnormal placental attachments like Placenta previa (PP) and placenta accrete (PA) are among the causes of perinatal hemorrhage. This study was conducted with the aim of identify demographic and potential risk factors associated with PP and PA. A prospective study was conducted at the Gynecology and Obstetrics Unit in Baghdad Teaching Hospital on a total of 56 ladies between February 2023 and January 2024. The data of ladies concerning general and obstetric history were compared for three groups (Normal vaginal delivery, PP & PA). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A significant association (P < 0.05) exists between maternal age and the type of placental pathology. PA is more common in women above 40 years, while PP is more prevalent in women between 21and 30 years. There is an insignificant association between ABO blood types and Rh factor and the incidence of PP or PA with p values above 0.05. Smoking status does not significantly impact (P ≈ 0.734) the occurrence of PP and PA. Approximately 70.8% and 80.3% of the participants with PP and PA, respectively, were multiparous; however, the results were statistically insignificant (P ≈ 0.854). The incidence of PP and PA increases significantly (P < 0.001) with the number of previous caesarian sections. The occurrence of PP and PA is approximately 54% and 67% respectively, among pregnant women with a history of miscarriages. However, the results are statistically insignificant since the p- value is more than 0.05. The findings of the present study demonstrated the importance of maternal age and previous caesarian sections as medical predictors in pregnancy planning and counseling , while smoking, blood group, and Rh status were disregarded as risk factors for PP or PA. Parity and history of miscarriages may not be a major predictor of PP or PA unless attended with other risk factors, such as repeated cesarean deliveries.