Pre-eclampsia is a common cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Studies have linked the condition to hypocalcaemia. The objective of this study was to determine the ionised calcium levels in pre-eclamptic women and compare with that of their normotensive counterparts. Two hundred and eighty-four (284) women who completed the study were analyzed. Half of the participants were pre-eclamptic and the other half were normotensive. The participants in the two groups were matched for age, gravidity, and gestational age. Venous blood was obtained from the antecubital vein and analyzed for ionised serum calcium. The mean ionised calcium concentrations between the two groups were compared using the student t-test. Results show the mean ages of the participants in the pre-eclamptic and normotensive groups were 24.47 ± 6.63 and 25.19 ± 5.71 years, respectively (p = 0.33). Pre-eclamptic subjects had significantly lower ionised serum calcium than the normotensive pregnant women (1.03 ± 0.11 mmol/L vs. 1.14 ±0.09 mmol/L, p < 0.001). There was also a significantly increased risk of hypocalcaemia amongst the pre-eclamptic pregnant women than the normotensive counterpart (OR=14.11, 95% CI: 6.16-32.35). Findings from this study suggest lower ionised calcium levels in serum and hypocalcaemia are associated indicators of preeclampsia among pregnant subjects diagnosed with the condition. Routine calcium supplementation is therefore recommended in pregnancy to reduce the risk of PE.
Key words: Hypocalcaemia, Ionised calcium, Normotensive, Pre-eclampsia, Serum calcium
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