TITLE:
Correlates of Retained Placenta at a Rural Tertiary Hospital in South Western Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Augustine Adebayo Adeniyi, Mathew Olumide Adebisi, Adewumi Bakare, Olabisi Timothy Adeyemo, Olusesan Bamidele Afolabi, Babatunde Aderukuola, Emmanuel Adeola Adekanye, Adewale Muyiwa Amerijoye
KEYWORDS:
Retained Placenta, Risk Factors, Third Stage of Labour, Complications
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.14 No.12,
December
30,
2024
ABSTRACT: Background: Detachment of the placenta occurs in about 96% of patients within 30 minutes of completion of the second stage of labour, thus any further delay there after is usually considered as retained placenta. It is associated with the risk of post-partum haemorrhage and anaemia. Objectives: To determine the incidence, risk factors, clinical presentation and complications of retained placenta at the study centre during the period under review. Methods: This was a retrospective case-control study in which records of women with retained placenta between January 2011 and December 2015 were retrieved and analysed for their age, parity, risk factors, clinical presentation and associated complications and compared with equal number of patients without retained placenta. Results: There were 11 cases of retained placenta recorded among the total number of 2068 deliveries during the study period, giving an incidence of 0.53% retained placenta in this study. Majority of cases (45.4%) were between age 30 and 39 years which was similar to the controls (54.5%). Most of the cases were unbooked (81%). Similarly, most women in both cases (82%) and controls (73%) were multiparae. All the 5 cases (45.5%) that had post-partum haemorrhage received blood transfusion. The overall incidence of post-partum anaemia was 54%. The average weights of the placentae were significantly smaller in the cases with placental retention (p = 0.010). Conclusion: Retained placenta is associated with significant risks of post-partum haemorrhage and blood transfusion. Non-booking for antenatal care is the commonest risk factor identified for retained placenta in this study.