Prevalence of Preeclampsia Amongst Pregnant Women in a Multispecialty Hospital in Southeastern Nigeria: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Hypertensive disorders in Pregnancy including preeclampsia and eclampsia continue to contribute significantly to the rates of maternal and perinatal morbidity and morbidity in Nigeria and the world at large.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of preeclampsia and pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women at Medical City Hospital (MCH) from March 2nd, 2021 to November 30, 2023.

Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out based on pre-existing data of patients who presented at MCH over a two and half-year period. Data was collected from the electronic medical records of patients who attended the gynaecological clinic and analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0.
Results: Preeclampsia had a prevalence of 6.5% in the study period. Raised blood pressure and proteinuria were the key clinical features with 56.5%% of the patients having a BMI of 25kg/m² and above. Caesarean section was the commonest mode of delivery and while 37% of these patients developed complications, only 1 mortality was recorded.

Conclusion: Preeclampsia remains a key cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in Nigeria and more effort is needed to combat it.