Obstetric outcome in cases of threatened spontaneous abortion

Abstract

Threatened spontaneous abortion is diagnosed when a woman presents with a history of vaginal bleeding before 24 weeks of pregnancy, together with the presence of a closed cervix, ultrasound evidence of an intrauterine gestational sac, and confirmation of a fetal heartbeat. Vaginal bleeding in the first trimester commonly originates from the spiral arteries between the deciduoplacental interface and the uterine wall during the formation of the definitive placenta and the membranes. Vaginal bleeding is a common complication that is associated with both a risk of complete spontaneous abortion and a spectrum of pregnancy complications. There have been few prospective studies of the outcome of threatened spontaneous abortion; most studies have included data collected after delivery at different centers among heterogeneous populations, with many patients lost to follow-up