Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: experience with 442 recent consecutive cases in Benin city, Nigeria.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the incidence, pattern,and outcome of pregnancies complicatedwith hypertensive disorders at amajor university teaching hospital in Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive review of 442 consecutive cases of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. Statistical analysis was with Fisher’s exact test, Relative risk, and 95% Confidence interval. Results: The incidence of hypertensive disorders was 11.6%of all deliveries. Gestational hypertension contributed 20.8% of cases,  pre-eclampsia 33.0%, eclampsia 5.7%, chronic hypertension 4.5% while 36.0% could not be classified with certainty at presentation.Nulliparity (P<0.0001), age 35-39 years (P=0.01) and greater than or equals 40 years (P<0.0001)were the risk factors for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy in this study. The caesarean section rate was more than twice that in the general obstetric population (45.5% versus 22%). Women
unbooked for antenatal care in our centre had significantly higher incidence of severe disease (P=0.009), eclampsia (P<0.0001), and worse maternal and perinatal outcome. Conclusion: Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy in this study were associated with nulliparity, age above 35 years, high caesarean section rates and women unbooked for antenatal care had worse maternal and perinatal outcome.

Niger Med J. Vol. 48, No. 4, Oct. – Dec., 2007: 94 – 98.

Keywords: Pregnancy induced hypertension, maternal morbidity andmortality, perinatalmorbidity andmortality, outcome