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Published:
May 1, 2023DOI:
10.4314/br.v21i1.13Keywords:
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Main Article Content
Biochemical profiles of pregnant women attending Gambo Sawaba General Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
Abstract
The hormonal and metabolic changes that occur during pregnancy promote the development and survival of the foetus. Pregnancy problems, however, might result from an imbalance in metabolic profiles. Biochemical profile assessments may be useful for both identification and treatment of some underlining causes of pregnancy complications. The biochemical profiles of pregnant and non-pregnant women attending the prenatal clinic at the Gambo Sawaba General Hospital in Zaria were examined in this study. Pregnant women in various stages (First trimester, second trimester, third trimester), and non-pregnant women were divided into four groups of thirty women each at random from a total of 90 pregnant and 30 non-pregnant women. Standard techniques were used to measure serum glucose, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, globulin, urea, uric acid, creatinine, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and body mass index. The findings demonstrate that, in comparison with non-pregnant women, women in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy showed a significantly (P <0.05) higher levels of blood glucose, serum cholesterol, and body mass index. But serum protein, urea, uric acid, albumin, globulin, and creatinine levels among pregnant women in the three trimesters were not significantly different (P>0.05) however, the difference was significant (P<0.05) when compared to non-pregnant women. While there was no difference in the levels of ALT and AST between pregnant and non-pregnant women (there was a significant difference in the levels of ALP (P<0.05) between pregnant and non-pregnant women. This study shows that assessing the metabolic profile of pregnant women may be important in managing pregnancy-related complications and prepare the mother for safe delivery. It is recommended that specific biochemical parameters, particularly serum glucose, serum cholesterol, and BMI be monitored during prenatal visits to prevent life threatening complications.
