Relationship between Placental Location, Blood Group, Genotype and Parity in Port Harcourt Women

Aim: Placental location affects the outcome of pregnancy. The influence of certain maternal factors on placental location is unknown. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between placenta location, maternal blood group, maternal genotype and parity among Port Harcourt women.

Methodology: The study was a retrospective study which investigated the Relationship Between Placental Location, Blood Group and Genotype in Port Harcourt Women in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. A survey of pregnant women from October 1, 2013, to September 30, 2017, as well as delivery of the pregnancy, was undertaken using medical records. 250 antenatal/post-natal medical records of parous women were randomly selected at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Placental locations were recorded. Each placenta was categorized as anterior, posterior and fundal. Lateral placentas located on the left or right portion of the anterior and posterior uterine walls were classified as anterior and posterior respectively. Data were also collected for other variables such as maternal blood group, genotype and parity.

Results: Anterior placenta was predominant (47%) followed by the posterior placenta (45%) while Fundal was the least (8%). Majority of the women were of the O blood group (67.6%), blood group A (18%) was next, blood group B (13%) while AB (1.2%) was the least. Genotype AA was predominant (83.6%), followed by AS (15.6%) whereas genotype SS (0.8%) was the least. The distribution of parity showed that women who had given birth twice designated as Two were predominant (33.2%), followed by those who had given birth once designated as One, (30.8%), Three (19.2%) while Four and above, (10.8%) were the least. The association between placenta location and blood group was not significant (p>0.05). Similarly, there was no significant association between placenta location and genotype (ρ>0.05). However, there was a significant association (p<0.05) between placenta location and parity.

Conclusion: Placental location had no association with blood group and genotype but was associated with parity. There was an absence of a relationship between placental location and these factors.