INTRODUCTION:Placental abruption is the most common cause of fetal death in cases of blunt trauma, and the majority of abruptions occur within 24 hours of the injury. Because of this potential complication, the observation time after trauma remains controversial. Our study aims to demonstrate the incidence of placental abruption and abnormal placental pathology at the time of delivery in women who have experienced low-impact trauma.METHODS:This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnant patients between the years of 2014 and 2020 at MedStar Washington Hospital Center who presented to triage for low-impact trauma identified by “trauma,” “IPV,” “fall,” or “MVA.” MedStar Health Research Institute IRB approved this study. Data from their evaluation during triage visit, mode of delivery, and placental pathology were assessed. Patients were de-identified and analyses included χ2 tests, linear regression, and multinomial logistic regression analyses, as appropriate (α=0.05).RESULTS:Of 184 patients identified, delivery data were available for 144 (79%). The mean time from trauma to delivery was 9 weeks. After delivery, the placental pathology was grossly assessed or sent to pathology, and 76.6% were intact with 7.6% noting an infarct when sent to pathology. Observation time did not predict placental infarction or calcification. The type of trauma did not correlate with mode of delivery (P=.629), prelabor preterm rupture of membranes (P=.746), placental infarct (P=.358), intact placenta (P=.834), or placental calcification (P=.288).CONCLUSION:Although a small percentage of patients who experienced low-impact trauma had infarction identified on placental pathology, no patients experienced clinical or pathologic placental abruption in 24 hours after trauma.

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Objective: To examine whether an estimated fetal weight of the current pregnancy greater than previous birth weight is associated with increased odds of intrapartum cesarean delivery. Study design: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all women who had more than one singleton pregnancy at 23 weeks’ gestation or greater at a single Labor and Delivery unit. We only analyzed the second pregnancy in the dataset. We excluded women who had preterm birth in the second pregnancy. Women were categorized according to the difference between estimated fetal weight and previous birth weight - estimated fetal weight close to previous birth weight within 500 grams (Similar Weight Group); estimated fetal weight significantly (more than 500 grams) greater than previous birth weight (Larger Weight Group); and estimated fetal weight significantly (more than 500 grams) lower than previous birth weight (Smaller Weight Group). The primary outcome was intrapartum cesarean delivery. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) after adjusting for predefined covariates. Results: Of 1,887 women, there were 1,415 (75%) in the Similar Weight Group, 384 (20%) in the Greater Weight Group, and 88 (5%) in the Smaller Weight Group. Individuals in the Larger Weight Group compared to those in the Similar Weight Group had higher odds of undergoing intrapartum cesarean delivery (11.2% vs. 4.5%; aOR 2.91; 95%CI 1.91-4.45). The odds of intrapartum cesarean delivery in the Smaller Weight Group compared to those in the Similar Weight Group were not increased (3.4% vs. 4.5%; crude OR 0.75; 95%CI 0.23-2.42). Conclusion: The difference between current estimated fetal weight and previous birth weight plays an important role in assessing the risk of intrapartum cesarean delivery.