Abstract:
Background: Hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy seriously affect the safety of the
mother and fetus during pregnancy. Very few studies have explored hypertensive disorders of
pregnancy in Ethiopia, even though this disease has been associated with adverse maternal and
perinatal outcomes.
Objectives: The study was to determine the prevalence, maternal complications, perinatal outcomes and
risk factors associated with the Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (HDP) who were seen at St Luke
Catholic Hospital from 01 January 2011 to 31 December 2013.
Methods: Facility based cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted by reviewing available
data or hospital records of pregnant mothers who were admitted to the labor and maternity wards
from 01 January 2011 to 31 December 2013, of Wolisso St Luke catholic hospital. The data were
collected using a structured check list from March 2014 to April 2014 and analyzed using SPSS for
windows version 16.0, OR and 95% CI were calculated. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically
significant.
Results: From a total of 9327 deliveries during the reference time period, 345 Hypertensive cases were
identified, of which only 260 (75.4%) booked for antenatal care. The overall prevalence was 37 per 1000
deliveries. The maximum age was 41years, with a median of 26 years and a mean of 26.90±5.49
(±SD) years. Among the cases 307(89%) were younger women of the age group 18-35 years. Hundred
seventy four (50.4%) of the 345 cases were Primigravida. There was great difference between in the
distribution of HDP amongst the residential areas with higher number of rural cases compared to urban
cases (p=0.05). Along the spectrum of the condition, 107(31%) mild pre-eclampsia, 138(40%) sever preeclampsia, 70(20.3%) eclampsia, and 12(3.5%) superimposed pre-eclampsia, 15(4.4%) and 3(0.9%) cases
who had pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) and chronic hypertension in their previous pregnancies
respectively.
Maternal complications included abruption placenta 13(12.5%), multiple organ failure 1(0.96%), Post
partum hemorrhage 30(28.8%), 1(0.96%) acute renal failure (ARF); pulmonary edema 2(1.9%), infection
18(17.3%), HEELP syndrome 38(36.5%), Premature rupture of membrane 1(0.96%) and maternal death
5(1.4%). Perinatal outcomes included 181(52.5%) preterm deliveries, 161(46.7%) low birth weight
babies, 37(10.7%) stillbirths and 21(6.1%) neonatal death.
