Prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, associated factors and pregnancy complications in a primigravida population

Background

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are among obstetrics' most intriguing and yet unsolved problems. It is one of the major causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. This study estimates the prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, their associated risk factors and pregnancy complications in primiparous women.

Methods

All primigravida who gave birth in our hospital from December 2020 to December 2021 were included in the study. The prevalence, risk factors, mode of delivery, and maternal and fetal outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in primigravidae were collected from the patient's medical records. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS 18.0 software package. The Chi-square test was used to analyse the association between the risk factors and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in primigravida.

Results

A total of 807 women were included in the study, and the mean age was 26.34 ​± ​3.84 years. The prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in primigravidae was found to be 18.6%. Among the prevalent population, 79.3% of women had gestational hypertension. The findings indicate that hypertension in pregnancy has a significant relationship with risk factors such as increased maternal age (p ​< ​0.004), family history of hypertension in pregnancy (p ​< ​0.001), body mass index >30 ​kg/m²(p ​< ​0.001), hyperglycaemia in pregnancy (p ​< ​0.001), IVF pregnancy (p ​< ​0.004) and polycystic ovary syndrome (p ​< ​0.001). The most reported adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes were placental abruption (p ​< ​0.001), postpartum haemorrhage (p ​< ​0.001), prematurity (p ​< ​0.001), and fetal growth restriction (p ​< ​0.001).

Conclusion

The study emphasises the importance of knowledge and timely assessment of risk factors of HDP. It also highlights the need for pre-conceptional counselling, which includes early detection, careful monitoring and treatment of HDP for preventing morbidity and mortality related to this disorder and it should be followed up even in the postpartum period.