THE PREVALENCE OF PLACENTA PREVIA IN WOMEN WITH UNSCARRED UTERUS

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To determine the frequency of placenta previa in unscarred uterus presenting to a tertiary care hospital.

METHODOLOGY

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on pregnant women aged between 20–40 years with an unscarred uterus and a pregnancy duration of 28 weeks or more. Placenta previa was confirmed by ultrasound scans. The data was analyzed using SPSS software version 26 and p

< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Among a cohort of 164 women possessing unscarred uteri, the incidence of placenta previa was identified in 52 instances, corresponding to a rate of 31.7%. The mean age of the participants was found to be 31.4 ± 4.8 years, while the gestational age was documented as 33.2 ± 2.5 weeks. A majority of the women impacted by this condition were classified as multigravida (67.3%), with the highest prevalence observed within the 31–35 age demographic (40.4%).

 
CONCLUSION

This research elucidates that placenta previa may manifest in females possessing unscarred uteri, particularly among those with multiple pregnancies and individuals of advanced maternal age. The results emphasize the necessity of recognizing placenta previa as a plausible obstetric complication independent of any prior uterine surgical interventions, thereby reinforcing the imperative for systematic antenatal evaluation and prompt diagnosis to facilitate optimal maternal and fetal outcomes.