[Effect of post-abortion interpregnancy interval on obstetric and perinatal outcomes].

BACKGROUND

The interval between pregnancies is important because it allows the mother to recover after an obstetric event.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate if postabortion short interpregnancy intervals affect the obstetrics and perinatal outcome.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A cases and controls study was carried out. We studied 858 patients with a history of early pregnancy loss in the previous pregnancy, of which 286 were cases (interval postabortion < or = 6 months) and 572 controls (interval postabortion > 6 months). Abortion, preterm birth and perinatal outcomes: apgar < or = 7, morbidity, mortality, and weight of newborns were analyzed.

RESULTS

The risk of abortion was similar in both groups (14.68% and 13.28%, for the cases and controls respectively (OR: 1.12; IC 95%: 0.75-1.69), and there were no differences in preterm birth (5.59% vs 8.21%; OR: 0.66; IC 95%: 0.37-1.19). Apgar was similar between the groups; there were not differences in the perinatal morbidity (RM: 0.77; IV 95%: 0.27-2.17; p = 0.8005), mortality (RM: 1.14; IC 95%: 0.33-3.94; p = 0.9145) and weight of the newborns between cases and control group.

CONCLUSIONS

A short interpregnancy interval less than or equal to six months is not a risk factor for adverse obstetrical and perinatal outcome.