Transactions from the 24th Annual Meeting of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society
Risk factors for previable premature rupture of membranes or advanced cervical dilation: A case control study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2005.12.017Get rights and content

Objective

The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for second trimester premature preterm rupture of membranes or advanced cervical dilation in a high-risk population.

Study design

A retrospective case control study was performed that compared women with premature preterm rupture of membranes or advanced cervical dilation to term control subjects. The cases included all singleton pregnancies between 14 and 24 weeks of gestation with premature preterm rupture of membranes or advanced cervical dilation between 1996 and 2000. The next 2 term deliveries were chosen as control subjects. The variables compared between cases and control subjects included pregnancy history, infectious and medical histories, cervical/uterine procedures, and habits. This study had institutional review board approval.

Results

There were 102 women with premature preterm rupture of membranes, 56 women with advanced cervical dilation, and 316 control subjects. The mean gestational ages for premature preterm rupture of membranes or advanced cervical dilation were 20 ± 2.6 and 19.9 ± 2.6 weeks. Tobacco use, history of or current cervical incompetence, previous second trimester delivery, previous termination at <20 weeks of gestation, and previous premature preterm rupture of membranes were associated significantly with premature preterm rupture of membranes or advanced cervical dilation compared with term control subjects. When controlled for parity, age, marital status, and race, these variables remained significant. Bacterial vaginosis in current pregnancy was associated significantly with only advanced cervical dilation but not premature preterm rupture of membranes compared with control subjects. A history of Chlamydia was most common in the term control subjects (19.6%).

Conclusion

In a high-risk population of inner city women, only pregnancy history and tobacco use distinguished women with second trimester premature preterm rupture of membranes or advanced cervical dilation from term control subjects. No infectious risk factors distinguished control women from women with premature preterm rupture of membranes. The only modifiable risk identified was tobacco use.

Section snippets

Methods

A retrospective case control study was performed that compared women with PPROM or ACD to term control subjects. Cases and control subjects were identified from the delivery log book, and charts were reviewed to confirm diagnosis and to collect data. The cases were all singleton pregnancies between 14 weeks 0/7 days and 24 weeks 0/7 days of gestation with PPROM or ACD between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2000. ACD was defined as membranes bulging to or through the external cervical os

Results

One hundred two women had second trimester PPROM, and 56 women had ACD during the study period. Control subjects were collected in a 2:1 control to total case (PPROM and ACD) ratio and were not matched on any characteristics. Therefore, there were 316 control subjects. The total number of deliveries at the University of Illinois at Chicago, during the study period was 12,674; the prevalences of previable PPROM and ACD were 0.8% and 0.4%, respectively. Interestingly, 23 of the 56 women (41%)

Comment

The rate of mid-trimester PPROM or ACD in our population was 1%, which is relatively high and suggests that this is a very high-risk group of women for early PPROM.1, 2, 12 In a case control study in a high-risk population of inner city women of color, we found that the significant associations with mid-trimester PPROM were similar to those reported associations for later PPROM and included tobacco use and history of previous poor pregnancy outcome.14, 15, 16 The largest associations were with

References (22)

Cited by (26)

  • Controversies in treatment practices of the mother-infant dyad at the limit of viability

    2022, Seminars in Perinatology
    Citation Excerpt :

    Rupture of membranes at the limit of viability is a rare event (<1%).73 The vast majority of periviable PPROM occurs spontaneously, but risk factors include a history of preterm delivery (OR: 15.2; 95% CI 16.1–37.8), cervical incompetence in the current pregnancy (OR, 12.7; 95% CI 3.5–46.4), cerclage (OR, 10.3; 95% CI 2.8–38.8), prior history of PROM (OR, 7.3; 95% CI 2.5–22.3), and tobacco use (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1–3.9).74 Following multi-disciplinary counseling, the majority of women confronted with PPROM at the limit of viability terminate pregnancy (∼82%).75

  • Periviable Premature Rupture of Membranes

    2020, Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America
    Citation Excerpt :

    These factors include a history of cervical insufficiency or cerclage, antepartum bleeding, multiple gestations, prior PPROM or preterm labor, tobacco smoking, and amniocentesis.11 Although inflammation from bacterial infection can lead to extracellular matrix weakening, in a review by Kilpatrick and colleagues,12 infection with gonorrhea, chlamydia, or bacterial vaginosis was not associated with PPROM. This suggests that other bacteria play a role in inflammation as evidenced by a higher level of histologic chorioamnionitis13 and fetal inflammatory response syndrome.14

  • Genetics and genomics of preterm birth

    2018, Human Reproductive and Prenatal Genetics
  • Influence of atmospheric pressure and its variations on premature rupture of membranes

    2013, Journal de Gynecologie Obstetrique et Biologie de la Reproduction
View all citing articles on Scopus

Presented at the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society, September 29-October 1, 2005, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Reprints not available from the authors.

View full text