Predictors of Pre-eclampsia: A Hospital Based Study in Accra, Ghana

Introduction: Pre-eclampsia is a medical condition which develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy, where blood pressure is elevated to 140/90mm/Hg or more, with significant amounts of protein in the urine. It is a pre-cursor of eclampsia and leads to increased morbidity and mortality in the affected mother and fetus or baby. The only cure for pre-eclampsia involves delivery of the placenta. Pre-eclampsia is asymptomatic and difficult to predict in the first trimester of pregnancy.Methods: This was a case control study done at the Police Hospital in Accra, using secondary data which were antenatal clinic records from 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2010. We sought to determine the number of deliveries complicated with pre-eclampsia,the proportion of deliveries complicated by preeclampsia, and risk factors of pre-eclampsia.Results: The proportion of deliveries complicated by pre-eclampsia was 2.5%. We found no association between pre-eclampsia and season of delivery, maternal blood group, history of previous abortions, maternal infections of syphilis, HIV and Hepatitis B. We found maternal age of 25 years and above, parity of one and systolic blood pressure of 130mm/Hg or more at booking were statistically significant predictors of pre-eclampsia.Conclusion: These three variables could be used to select pregnant women in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy for focused surveillance, and as a tool for selecting women for early referral for specialist care. We however recommend larger studies with the addition of lifestyle variables in further studies.