Clinical Implications of Premature Rupture of Membranes in Gestational Women in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Prospective Observational Study

Background: Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) is a leading cause of newborn morbidity and mortality. The purpose of our research is to evaluate the clinical implications of PPROM in pregnant women, with a particular emphasis on understanding the impact on maternal health. Materials and Methods: This is a 6-month prospective observational study conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Hubballi. The study comprised 99 patients with PPROM less than 37 weeks of gestation. Maternal and obstetric characteristics such as maternal age, body mass index, gravidity, parity, date of last menstrual period, past medical history, PROM time, amniotic fluid appearance and amniotic fluid index (calculated ultrasonographic images), latency period (days from rupture to delivery), management (steroid, magnesium) and delivery type were recorded. The data was analysed with IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. Results: Out of 99 PROM patients, 64.5% were diagnosed with anemia. The mean Serum hemoglobin level was 9.45±1.9 gm%. Using Pearson's Chi-square to analyze the association between socioeconomic status and anemia in PROM cases, it was found to be statistically significant [2 (8, N=99)=204.673a, p=.000] at p<0.05. Factors such as cervical dilation, induction of labor, fetal presentation and use of antenatal corticosteroids were significantly associated with p value less than 0.05, CI 95%. Conclusion: Our study found a significant association between cervical dilation and induction of labor with gestational age in women with PPROM, suggesting that certain obstetric characteristics may influence PPROM. The findings align with previous research, highlighting the importance of considering these factors in the management of women at risk for PPROM.