Serum Magnesium Levels in Normal and Pre-Eclamptic Gestation in Benin City

Abstract

Introduction: Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is at the moment no reliable marker for pre-eclampsia.
Objective: To compare the serum magnesium levels in pre-eclamptic and normotensive pregnant women in Benin -City, Nigeria.
Methods: A cross-sectional study of serum magnesium levels in normal and preeclamptic gestation in Nigerian women was conducted in a tertiary hospital.
Results: Serum magnesium was determined in 65 pre-eclamptic and 65 normotensive pregnant women. The mean serum magnesium level in the normal pregnant women was 1.06 ± 0.33Mmol/Litre while in preeclampsia it was 0.69 ± 0.14 Mmol/l. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Mean levels of serum magnesium were found to be lower in the third trimester than in the second trimester in both normal and preeclamptic gestation. Therefore serum magnesium decreases with increase in gestational age.
Conclusion. The findings in this study imply that magnesium may be a marker for pre-eclampsia.

Keywords: Serum magnesium; pre-eclampsia maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality.

Nigerian Medical Journal Vol. 48 (1) 2007: pp. 21-23