Risk for respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants born to mothers complicated by placenta previa

This study examined the risk factors for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS ) in preterm infants from pregnancies complicated by placenta previa. Forty preterm infants born to mothers with placenta previa between January 1989 and December 1995 in a medical center were enrolled. Each of these patients was matched in gestational age and gender with an infant born immediately after to a mother without placenta previa. Obstetric and neonatal outcome v ariables were collected. The mean+/-S.D. gestational age for both groups wa s 33.0+/-3.1 weeks. There was no difference in mean birthweight between the placenta previa and control groups (2129+/-598 vs. 2136+/-493 g). All the patients in the former and 11 (28%) in the latter were born by cesarean sec tion. About a half of the mothers in both groups received antenatal steroid s. Infants from placenta previa pregnancies had a higher incidence (21/40 v s. 10/40, P < 0.01) and more severe RDS than controls. Stratified by the st atus of treatment with antenatal steroid, we found that gestational age was a significant risk factor for RDS in both treated and untreated groups (P < 0.01), but placenta previa was an independent risk factor (odds ratio 32; CI 1-4182) by multiple exact logistic regression in antenatal steroid-trea ted group. We conclude that preterm infants born to mothers with placenta p revia had a higher risk for RDS than controls. It played an independent rol e, in addition to gestational age, only in infants treated with antenatal s teroid. We speculate that placenta previa was not directly contributing to RDS, but through other associated risk factors for RDS. (C) 2001 Elsevier S cience Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.