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    J Obstet Gynaecol. 2006 Feb;26(2):118-21.

    The incidence and outcome of concealed pregnancies among hospital deliveries: an 11-year population-based study in South Glamorgan.

    Source

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK.

    Abstract

    Denial of pregnancy has been implicated in potentially jeopardising prenatal care and subsequent safe planned deliveries. This population-based study of hospital deliveries over an 11-year period, reveals that concealed pregnancies have an incidence of one in 2,500 deliveries. Among this cohort, 12% were married and 58% were multiparous with 8% having had a previous caesarean section. Some 20% of women had a medical disorder complicating the antenatal period. There was a preponderance of concealed pregnancies in the winter months compared with booked deliveries (p = 0.02). Mode of delivery was similar between the booked and concealed pregnancies with a low incidence of maternal morbidity in the latter. Prematurity rates (p = 0.0002) were significantly higher in the concealed pregnancy cohort. A total of 20% of infants had depressed Apgar scores at 1 min and 8% at 5 min. There was no documentation of counselling or follow-up in this group. Despite the low incidence of maternal morbidity, these women should be regarded as high-risk labour due to the increased perinatal morbidity. Greater effort needs to be made towards ensuring these women have adequate counselling and follow-up during the postnatal period.

    PMID:
    16483966
    [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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