Preeclampsia Incidence and Its Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes With Associated Risk Factors.

Abstract

Background and objective Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder that usually arises after 20 weeks of pregnancy. It is considered a major cause of maternal and fetal mortality worldwide. High blood pressure and high proteinuria are the two main characteristics of preeclamptic patients. Preeclampsia leads to eithersevere or mild conditions, but in both cases, it affects the organs of the mother and fetus.This studywas conducted to determine the prevalence of preeclampsia and associated risk factors (family history, age, hypertension, and diabetes) and to investigateits fetal and maternal outcomes. Methodology This prospective study was conducted at three healthcare units in the Multan district and involved patients with gestational hypertension.Patients were diagnosed on the basis of blood pressure values, urine tests, and throughDoppler ultrasound. Further investigations were conducted, including a complete hemogram and a 24-hour test for proteinuria. Results for preeclampsia-related maternal and perinatal outcomes were documented andstatistical analysis was performed to analyze the data. Results A total of 142patients were diagnosed with gestational hypertension and preeclampsia during the two-year study period. Our findings showed 8.67% cases of gestational hypertension and 3%of preeclampsia. The majority of the preeclamptic patients were less than 24 years of age (33.3%), belonged to lower socioeconomic classes (44.4%), and had low educational levels (81.1%). A close association of family history (36.67%) with diabetes (15.5%)and chronic hypertension (5.55%) was observed in these patients. Maternal and fetal outcomes were relatedto maternal blood pressure.A significant incidence of premature births (45.6%) and a majority of cesarean cases(63.4%) withsevere complicationswere observed. Data from preeclamptic patients showed high albuminuria levels (42.2%) with problems like renal infection, pulmonary edema, and severe anemia. During the study period, aneonatal death rate of11.1% wasobserved as well as issues likerespiratory tract syndrome, asphyxia, and growth retardation. Conclusion This study showed that poor economic and educational levels are significantly associated with this disease. A high rate of maternal and neonatal morbidity with neonatal mortality was investigated.Mild to severe outcomes wereobserved in the form of cesarean deliveries and preterm births. Serious complications leadto ICUadmissions causing a serious burden on healthcare units. Paying more attention to the healthcare needs of pregnant women helps to identify preeclampsia earlier and also minimizes the complications associated with it.