Outcomes of pregnancies complicated by early vaginal bleeding.

The association between early gestational bleeding and suboptimal pregnancy outcome was examined. Postpartum women were interviewed during January-October 1998 at the two main obstetric hospitals in Alexandria, Egypt. Of 1503 singleton deliveries, 10.6% reported bleeding; 63.5% and 36.5% during first and second trimesters respectively. Bleeding was more frequent among women of age > 33 years, with history of low-birth-weight babies or previous miscarriage. Suboptimal outcomes occurred more often among women reporting bleeding than among those who never bled and the risk of such outcomes significantly increased with second trimester bleeding. Risk of a low-birth-weight baby, preterm delivery and perinatal death significantly decreased with increasing interpregnancy interval for women with first trimester or second trimester bleeding.