Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Following Cryotherapy, Thermal Ablation and Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Treatment: A Pilot Study among Zambian Women

Background: Cervical Intraepithelial neoplasia treatments have become essential interventions to manage cervical lesions. Majority of the recipients of these treatments are women within the reproductive age group, who according to literature may be at risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. This pilot study is part of a study investigating adverse pregnancy outcomes among women who received Cryotherapy, Thermal ablation and Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure compared to the untreated women in Zambia. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study analyzed records of 886 (n = 443 treated and n = 443 untreated) women aged 15 - 49 years. The women were either screened with Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid or treated for Cervical Intraepithelial neoplasia at the Adult Infectious Disease Centre between January 2010 and December 2020. Women meeting the criteria were identified using the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid screening records and telephone interviews to obtain the adverse pregnancy outcome experienced. Data were analysed using STATA version 16 to determine the prevalence and obtain frequency distribution of outcomes of interest. Univariate and multivariable binary logistic regression estimated odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes across the three treatments. Results: The respondents were aged 15 to 49 years. Adverse pregnancy outcomes were observed to be more prevalent in the treatment group (18.5%) compared to the untreated group (5.4%). Normal pregnancy outcomes were lower in the treated (46.3%; n = 443) than the untreated (53.7%; n = 443). The treated group accounted for the majority of abortions (85.2%), prolonged labour (85.7%) and low birth weight (80%), whereas, the untreated accounted for the majority of still births (72.7%). Women treated with cryotherapy (aOR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.32 - 4.49, p = 0.004), thermal ablation (aOR = 6.37, 95% CI = 0.99 - 41.2, p = 0.052) and Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (aOR = 9.67, 95% CI = 2.17 - 43.1, p = 0.003) had two-, six- and ten-times higher odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes respectively, relative to women who required no treatment. Conclusion: Adverse pregnancy outcomes are prevalent among women who have received treatment in Zambia. The findings indicate that treating Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia has been linked to higher chances of experiencing abortion, delivering low birth weight babies and enduring prolonged labor that may result in a caesarean section delivery. Cervical neoplasia treatments, particularly Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure, are associated with significantly increased odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes. It is essential to include information about prior Cervical Intraepithelial neoplasia treatment outcomes in obstetric care.