Cesarean section in cases of stress-compromised pregnancy in women with undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia

Abstract

The aim: Assessment of abdominal delivery by cesarean section in preterm pregnancies in women with undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia. Materials and methods: Analyzed were 3,371 cases of cesarean section deliveries in preterm pregnancies complicated by undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia (UCTD). Based on a scoring assessment of external and visceral UCTD markers, three groups were identified: Group 1 included 466 patients with no signs of UCTD, Group 2 consisted of 798 patients with mild UCTD, and Group 3 comprised 2,107 patients with moderate to severe UCTD. The severity of connective tissue dysplasia manifestations was assessed based on external and internal signs of connective tissue dysplasia, as well as gynecological and obstetric history, indications for abdominal delivery in preterm pregnancies, and maternal and perinatal outcomes of the deliveries. Results: It has been established that in 71.4% of patients with stress-compromised pregnancies resulting in preterm birth and delivered by cesarean section, the most common indications were: inability of the uterine scar in 23.8%, breech presentation of the fetus in 19.1%, and detachment of the normally placed placenta in 4.9%. An unfavorable factor was moderate to severe connective tissue dysplasia, which led to a 5-fold increase in the likelihood of requiring a cesarean section. In addition, severe hypoxia in newborns was significantly more frequently observed in the first minutes of life in cases of moderate and severe UCTD. Conclusions: The conducted studies have shown that cesarean sections in cases of stress-compromised pregnancies resulting in preterm birth are performed significantly more often in cases of moderate to severe undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia (UCTD). Moderate and severe UCTD have a substantial impact on obstetric and perinatal outcomes of deliveries, both at present and in the future.