The Effect of Season on the Prevalence of Preeclampsia

Abstract

Background: Preeclampsia can be defined as a pregnancy-specific syndrome that a group of pathological signs and symptoms occur simultaneously without known causes. This study aimed to determine the effect of season on the prevalence of preeclampsia in pregnant women referring to Sanandaj Besat Hospital during 2013 - 2014. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on 363 pregnant women referring to Sanandaj Besat Hospital during 2013 - 2014. Data were collected from medical records of pregnant women who were hospitalized because of preeclampsia and analyzed with STATA-11 and Chi-square test. Results: The results showed that the mean age of women diagnosed with preeclampsia was 30.5 ± 6.60 years. The prevalence of preeclampsia in urban and rural pregnant women was 10% and 4%, respectively. The incidence of preeclampsia was 30% during the winter months. There was no statistically significant relationship between the season of conception and the month of preeclampsia (P = 0.67). Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, it can be said that the risk of preeclampsia in cold seasons is more than warmer seasons and its incidence is lower in urban multiparous women. J Clin Gynecol Obstet. 2016;5(3):81-84 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jcgo408w Â