Maternal Characteristics and Short-Term Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of Placental Abruption in Uzbekistan: A Retrospective Comparative Study

Background: Placental abruption can cause serious maternal and neonatal complications, but evidence from Central Asia remains limited. Objective: To compare maternal characteristics and short-term clinical outcomes between hospital deliveries with and without clinically diagnosed placental abruption in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Methods: This retrospective single-centre analysis included 76 deliveries with abruption and 76 previously selected comparison deliveries from 2022–2024. Maternal and neonatal variables were compared using Mann–Whitney U and two-sided Fisher exact tests. An exploratory conditional logistic regression model stratified by calendar year examined selected maternal characteristics. The original selection process for comparison records could not be reconstructed. Results: Of 16,774 hospital deliveries, 76 involved abruption (0.45%). Median body mass index was higher with abruption (29.0 vs 26.9 kg/m²; P = 0.005), whereas categorical obesity was not significantly different. Median recorded blood loss was 850 versus 550 mL (P < 0.001); blood loss of at least 1000 mL occurred in 19.7% versus 2.6%, and transfusion occurred in 22.4% versus 2.6%. Caesarean delivery occurred in 98.7% versus 51.3%. Among singleton pregnancies, the distribution of 5-minute Apgar scores differed (P < 0.001), but the comparison of scores below 7 was not statistically significant (8.0% vs 1.3%; P = 0.063). Conclusions: Abruption was associated with greater recorded haemorrhagic and operative burden. The associations with maternal body mass index remain exploratory because comparison-sample selection and residual confounding may influence the findings.