Association between Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia with Spontaneous Prelabor Rupture of Membrane

Abstract

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy constitute one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal mortality worldwide. Prelabor (premature) rupture of membranes (PROM) occurs in 10% of all pregnancies, of which 7%–8% occur after 37–42 weeks. Aim of the Study: The aim of the study was to investigate the association between gestational hypertension and preeclampsia with the risk of spontaneous PROM. Materials and Methods: This is a case-control study; 150 pregnant women with gestational age ≥20 weeks were included in this study. Eligible women were divided into three equal groups: 50 pregnant women with preeclampsia, 50 pregnant women with gestational hypertension, and 50 normotensive pregnant women. In addition, the risk of spontaneous PROM was assessed among these groups. Results: This study shows that 52% was primigravida in the preeclampsia group, whereas 26% in the gestational hypertension group and 38% in the normotensive group; this was statistically significant. Regarding the gestational age, 88% were full term in the preeclampsia group, 94% in the gestational hypertension, and 94% in the normotensive; there was no significant difference among the three study groups. In the preeclampsia group, seven (14%) have PROM with no significant association, whereas in the gestational hypertension group, 19 (38%) have PROM, which was statistically significant. In the normotensive group, 18 (36%) have PROM, which is also significant. The risk of PROM between each study group was compared: there was significant difference between percentages when comparing the normotensive group with the preeclampsia group (more percentage of PROM among the normotensive) and highly significant difference when comparing the gestational hypertensive group with the preeclampsia group. Conclusion: In this study, we concluded that gestational hypertension is associated with the risk of PROM, and preeclampsia is not associated with the risk of PROM.