Postpartum hypocalcaemia in Maiduguri, North-eastern Nigeria: a 10-year review

The aim of maternal calcium homeostasis is to provide adequate calcium flux across the placenta during pregnancy and into breast milk during lactation, to ensure normal fetal and neonatal skeletal mineralisation. The objective of this study was to document the characteristics and outcome of patients who had postpartum hypocalcaemia. Cases of symptomatic postpartum hypocalcaemia managed over a 10-year period (1 January 1998 to 31 December 2007) at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 34 cases were identified. The sociodemographic characteristics, corrected calcium level, duration of treatment, mode of delivery and the packed cell volume (PCV) were analysed using the EPI-INFO Version 3.4.3 statistical package. The mean age and parity were 24.29 ± 5.88 and 3.39 ± 2.32, respectively. All the patients presented with carpopedal spasm with or without associated symptoms. There was a direct relationship (R² linear = 0.292, p = 0.001) between PCV and serum calcium. Multiparous women were significantly more affected than primiparae (χ² = 15.08; p = 0.0005). Half of the patients presented within 1 week of onset of symptoms. In conclusion, the association between anaemia and postpartum hypocalcaemia needs further study to determine the cause and effect relationship.