Beena Guhan1, Anitha S2, Meera Pavithran3
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Pre-eclampsia is a systemic syndrome that occurs in 3-5% of the pregnant women and is the leading cause of maternal/neonatal morbidity and mortality. We designed a study to compare perinatal outcome in women with recurrent pre-eclampsia to women with women with pre-eclampsia who were normotensive during their previous pregnancies.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was conducted in Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Government Medical College, Kozhikode for a period of 1 year from March 2013 to February 2014. We conducted this study in multiparous women who developed pre-eclampsia in index pregnancy (n=110). Among these, women who had pre-eclampsia in previous pregnancies (n=55) were compared to those who remained normotensive during their prior pregnancies (n=55). Maternal and foetal variables were compared. Multivariate logistic analyses were performed to examine the impact of pre-eclampsia on foetal outcome, preterm delivery, IUGR, still births adjusted for confounding variables.
RESULTS
No statistical significant difference was observed between the 2 groups in terms of age, gravida, parity. Women who experienced recurrent pre-eclampsia were at elevated risk for early onset of pre-eclampsia, deranged laboratory investigations (Hepatic and Renal parameters, Coagulation Profile), higher chances of maternal complications, foetal mortality and morbidity (Statistically significant P <0.05). Foetal loss was higher in women with recurrent pre-eclampsia (14.5%) than in women with pre-eclampsia who had normotensive pregnancy history (1.8%).
CONCLUSION
Women with recurrent pre-eclampsia had a higher rate of perinatal loss compared to women with pre-eclampsia who were normotensive in their prior pregnancies.
