The effects of maternal weight and age on pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Haiti

Patient data from Maison de Naissance (MN), a rural maternity clinic in Haiti, were analyzed to determine the prevalence of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders and the extent to which maternal weight and age are associated with these disorders in the MN population.

A case-control study design was used with cases defined as pregnant women who were presented at MN with pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders (pregnancy-induced hypertension, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia) and controls defined as those women who delivered babies at MN and were not diagnosed with a pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder. The final cohort size was 622 controls and 67 cases. Odds ratios were calculated using multivariate logistic regression.

The incidence of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia was 7.0%. Older maternal age at delivery (OR = 3.18; 95%CI: 1.31, 7.76) and higher maternal weight (OR = 3.24; 95%CI: 1.76, 5.98) measured during prenatal care were significantly associated with pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders. Prenatal care was not significantly associated with reduced risk of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia.

The prevalence of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders was high relative to rates in other developing countries. More is required to reduce the rate of pre-eclampsia perhaps by targeting older and women with high weight for preconception and more intensive prenatal care.