Placenta location, a prognostic determinant for the incidence of preeclampsia

Abstract Background: Preeclampsia is one of the complications of pregnancy with uncertain etiology. Nevertheless, it is believed that the condition may arise due to abnormal trophoblastic invasion, resulting in vascular remodeling and increased resistance in the spiral arteries. It is assumed that the location of the placenta might have contributed to the formation of trophoblastic invasion and further placental supply. The current study aims to investigate the association of placental location with the incidence of preeclampsia Methods: The current case-control study was conducted on 206 primigravid pregnant patients undergone routine screening ultrasonography study between 14 and 26 gestational weeks to determine the location of the placenta (anterior, posterior, or lateral). The patients were categorized as cases that met the criteria of high-risk for preeclampsia (n=106) or the controls (n=100). Results: Logistic regression assessment revealed that increased age (OR: 1.047, 95%CI: 0.89-1.12; P-value=0.033), BMI> 25 kg/m2 (OR: 4.61, 95%CI: 1.02- 10.02; P-value=0.038), and anterior (OR: 2.79, 95%CI: 1.08-9.43; P-value=0.038) and posterior (OR: 1.056, 95%CI: 0.89-1.12; P-value=0.033) location of placenta were the predicting factors for the incidence of preeclampsia. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the current study, anterior and posterior location of the placenta, increased age and BMI above 25 kg/m2 were the predicting factors for preeclampsia development. Given that, it is recommended to closely monitor the individuals with anteriorly located placenta aiming at early diagnosis of persistent hypertension and applying approaches to minimize the adverse effects of preeclampsia.