Neonatal outcomes in immediate versus delayed conceptions after spontaneous abortion: A retrospective case series

Objective: This study was undertaken to determine differences in neonatal outcomes between successful pregnancies conceived immediately after a spontaneous abortion (SAB) and successful pregnancies conceived after two menstrual cycles or at least 100 days from the spontaneous abortion. Study Design: This study was a retrospective case series. Deliveries were identified from the University of California-San Francisco Perinatal Database among patients with a history of one SAB. Medical records of 268 patients were reviewed. Sixty-four patients fulfilled study criteria, with 19 in the immediate conception group and 45 in the delayed conception group. Categorical variables were analyzed using χ2 tests and Fisher exact tests for variables with expected values of <5, whereas continuous variables were analyzed using Student t tests. Results: Neonatal outcomes for the 2 groups were similar, although neonates in the delayed conception group were more likely to have at least one of the following: low birth weight, an Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes, or admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Conclusion: In this small retrospective case series, there was no evidence of adverse neonatal outcomes associated with conception immediately after a SAB. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:1230-6.)