Aim To audit the trends in indications, ethnic origin, gestational age, length of stay and outcome of pregnancies in patients admitted in the high-risk pregnancy unit of a tertiary care center over the last decade.

Methods This was a retrospective study involving all pregnancies over 24 weeks admitted in the high risk pregnancy unit, in a single academic obstetric department, between January 2002 and November 2011. Hospital notes were reviewed for demographic data, pregnancy data, treatment and outcome of pregnancies.

Results Overall, 2056 women were admitted during the study period. Main indications included maternal (33.2%, including pregnancy associated and non-associated), fetal (9.8%, including intrauterine growth restriction and fetal abnormalities), threatened preterm labor (37.3%), premature preterm rupture of membranes (15.4%), and placental abnormalities (4.3%, including low lying placenta, oligo or polyhydramnios). The population consisted of Greeks (73.9%) and immigrants (Albanians 16.1%, women from the former soviet union 9.7%, and other countries 0.2%). The mean maternal age was 30 years (SD=6.1), the mean gestational age at admission was 31.4 weeks (SD= 4.1) and the mean length of stay was 5.9 (SD=8.6).

Conclusions No change in the mean gestational age or length of stay was observed in the ten years of the study. There was an increase in the cases of pPROM and a reduction in maternal indications.