Abstract
BackgroundThis study aims to determine reported prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) and maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with these disorders among women delivering at selected hospitals across Haiti.MethodsA retrospective review of 8822 singleton deliveries between January 2012 and December 2014 was conducted at four hospitals in separate Departments across Haiti. Researchers examined the proportion of women with reported HDP (hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia) and the association between women with HDP and three neonatal outcomes: low birth weight, preterm birth, and stillbirths; and two maternal outcomes: placental abruption and maternal death in Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS). Odds ratios for associations between HDP and perinatal outcomes at HAS were assessed using logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders.ResultsOf the 8822 singleton births included in the study, 510 (5.8%) had a reported HDP (including 285 (55.9%) preeclampsia, 119 (23.3%) eclampsia, and 106 (20.8%) hypertension). Prevalence of HDP among each hospital was: HAS (13.5%), Hôpital Immaculée Conception des Cayes (HIC) (3.2%), Fort Liberté (4.3%), and Hôpital Sacré Coeur de Milot (HSC) (3.0%). Among women at HAS with HDP, the adjusted odds of having a low birth weight baby was four times that of women without HDP (aOR 4.17, 95% CI 3.19–5.45), more than three times that for stillbirths (aOR 3.51, 95% CI 2.43–5.06), and five times as likely to result in maternal death (aOR 5.13, 95% CI 1.53–17.25). Among the three types of HDP, eclampsia was associated with the greatest odds of adverse events with five times the odds of having a low birth weight baby (aOR 5.00, 95% CI 2.84–8.79), six times the odds for stillbirths (aOR 6.34, 95% CI 3.40–11.82), and more than twelve times as likely to result in maternal death (aOR 12.70, 95% CI 2.33–69.31).ConclusionsA high prevalence of HDP was found among a cohort of Haitian mothers. HDP was associated with higher rates of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in HAS, which is comparable to studies of HDP conducted in high-income countries.
Highlights
This study aims to determine reported prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) and maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with these disorders among women delivering at selected hospitals across Haiti
Data from four hospitals (HAS, Fort Liberté, Hôpital Sacré Coeur de Milot (HSC), and Hôpital Immaculée Conception des Cayes (HIC)) were selected based on the following criteria: 1) being the largest referral hospitals in their distinct Departments, and 2) having the most complete records known by the research team, who participate in Enhanced Routine Pregnancy Outcome Surveillance System (ePOSS)
Fort Liberté is located in the Fort Liberté commune in Nord Est; HSC is in the Milot commune in Nord; and HIC is in the Port-de-paix commune in Sud (Fig. 1)
Summary
This study aims to determine reported prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) and maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with these disorders among women delivering at selected hospitals across Haiti. Haiti is known to have one of the highest maternal mortality ratios (MMR) in the world at an estimated 359 per 100,000 live births [1]. Hypertension (both chronic and during pregnancy) has been identified as a significant cause of morbidity among Haitian women, yet the etiology behind this association is currently unknown [4, 5, 6, 7]. Few studies have attempted to explore hypertensive disorders among pregnant women in Haiti; the true impact of HDP on Haitian mothers and babies is largely unknown. Low and middle-income countries (LMIC) are known to be disproportionally affected by HDP, yet good quality information on prevalence of HDP in these settings are still missing in the literature
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
