Preeclampsia: risk factors and neonatal outcomes associated with early- versus late-onset diseases

Objective: This study examined the effects of early-onset preeclampsia (EOPE) and late-onset preeclampsia (LOPE) on short-term maternal and neonatal morbidity, as well as risk factors associated with early-onset and late-onset diseases. Method: This retrospective, cohort study included pregnant women who had been diagnosed with PE during pregnancy. Electronic medical records were reviewed for demographics and medical history, laboratory tests, and delivery data. The women were grouped according to EOPE (<34 weeks) and LOPE (≥34 weeks). Power analysis revealed that a sample size of 35 was sufficient for each PE group, under the assumptions of type I error (two-sided) of 5% and at least 80% power to detect a 30% difference in composite outcomes between EOPE and LOPE. Results: Among 101 patients, 35 (34.7%) had EOPE and 66 (65.3%) developed LOPE. Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and unconjugated estriol (UE3) were higher in the early-onset group (p = .015 and p= .002, respectively) and might be predictors of EOPE. There was a positive correlation between gestational age at PE diagnosis and gestational age at delivery. Patients with EOPE delivered earlier than patients with LOPE did (p<.0001). Conclusions: Patients who developed EOPE had higher of AFP and UE3 values at their second trimester biochemical screening. These parameters might be predictors of EOPE. We found a positive correlation between early gestational age at PE diagnosis and preterm delivery.