Study protocol for first national vasa previa perinatal registry

Abstract

Vasa previa is a rare but potentially catastrophic obstetric condition characterized by unprotected fetal blood vessels over or adjacent to the internal cervical os. Although advances in prenatal ultrasound have dramatically improved neonatal survival through planned cesarean delivery, many aspects of vasa previa remain poorly understood. Existing studies are limited by small sample sizes, single-center designs, heterogeneous diagnostic criteria, and inconsistent reporting of clinical outcomes, highlighting the need for large, systematically collected multicenter datasets. Here we describe, to our knowledge, the first United States multicenter registry of pregnancies complicated by vasa previa without concurrent placenta previa, the U.S. Vasa Previa Registry (US-VPR). This report outlines the rationale, design, and implementation of a large, multicenter, retrospective registry developed to characterize patient demographics, risk factors, placental pathology, natural history, antenatal management, maternal outcomes, neonatal outcomes, and healthcare utilization associated with vasa previa. The US-VPR includes contributions from 15 tertiary referral centers and represents the largest multicenter cohort of pregnancies complicated by vasa previa without concurrent placenta previa reported to date. By leveraging multicenter collaboration and standardized data collection, the registry provides a unique opportunity to characterize variation in clinical practice and outcomes across referral centers, strengthen the evidence base for this rare condition, and inform future prospective studies and evidence-based patient counseling.