Prognostic significance of risk factors in pregnancy. I. Observations of onset and duration of observed pregnancy risks

: In a prospective study 383 from 712 women attending our antenatal clinic were found on examination to have pregnancy risks. These were followed with regard to the time of first occurrence, duration and time of last occurrence, as well as their relation to other risk factors occurring in both history, examination or during labour. The method of delivery, necessity for postpartal intensive pediatric care and the perinatal mortality were considered. Risks included antepartal haemorrhage in the first trimester (median time of onset 11 weeks); in the second trimester: hypotension (20 weeks), cervical incompetence (21 weeks), anaemia (25,5 weeks), premature labour (29 weeks) and uterus size inappropriate to gestational age (34,5 weeks) in the third trimester. Antepartal haemorrhage tends to be episodic (median duration of bleeding one week). The average duration for a cerclage was 16 weeks. The other risk factors were observed to last between 3 and 8 weeks. The onset and duration of risk factors found on examination considered alone do not present a sufficient criterion to enable their gravidity to be judged.