Understanding the prevalence of threatened miscarriage in Malta

Abstract

Threatened miscarriage (TM) is vaginal bleeding before 20 weeks of pregnancy with a detectable fetal heartbeat and closed cervical os. This retrospective cohort study quantified the prevalence of TM and pregnancy outcomes in Malta. All 711 women presenting with first-trimester vaginal bleeding at Mater Dei Hospital’s Accident & Emergency department in 2019 were analysed. Outcomes were: 241 (33.9 %) live births beyond 22 weeks’ gestation, 396 (55.7 %) confirmed miscarriages, 10 (1.4 %) ectopic pregnancies, 6 (0.84 %) molar pregnancies, and 58 (8.16 %) unknown. Successful birth rates were significantly lower in mothers aged 35–46 years, and neonates showed a tendency toward low birth weight. The study provides the first national prevalence data for TM in Malta and forms the basis for a future prospective study on pregnancy outcomes following TM.