RESUMO
PURPOSE: Early-onset preeclampsia is thought to be associated with fetal mortality and maternal complications. We compared maternal clinical characteristics, complications, and perinatal outcome between early- and late-onset preeclampsia. METHODS: We analysed retrospectively 212 pregnant women with preeclampsia between 2004 and 2008 at a tertiary university hospital. We divided preeclamptic women as early-onset (n=58), with an onset before 32 weeks gestation, and late-onset (n=154), with an onset after 32 weeks gestation. We compared maternal characteristics, maternal complications, and neonatal outcomes between the two groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in maternal age, parity, BMI, previous history of preeclampsia, hypertension, and DM between early- and late-onset preeclampsia. Among the maternal complications, maternal blood pressure was higher in early-onset preeclampsia without any statistical significance, but the amount of 24 hours urine protein was significantly higher in early-onset preeclampsia than late-onset (P=0.003). There were significantly higher rate of visual disturbance, elevated liver enzyme, pulmonary edema and severe disease in early-onset preeclampsia (all P<0.05). Comparing neonatal outcome, there were higher rate of fetal death in uterus (FDIU) (P=0.0001), low Apgar score (P<0.0001), and perinatal death (P<0.0001) in early-onset preeclampsia. Fetal birth weight and onset of preeclampsia were significant covariate factors for perinatal mortality. CONCLUSION: Early-onset preeclampsia was related to poor perinatal and materanl outcomes, but there was no difference in maternal characteristics. Further studies are necessary for prediction, pathogenesis, and therapy of early-onset preeclampsia.