DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2018.v06i10.038

Pages: 3880-3885

Gestational hypertension is the one of the most common cause of hypertension during pregnancy, constituting approximately 70%, of it and complicating about 6-17% pregnancies in nulliparous women and 2-4% in multiparous women. Gestational hypertension is characterized by new-onset elevations of BP above 140/90 mmHg after 20 weeks of gestation, in the absence of accompanying proteinuria. Gestational Hypertension, even when BP elevations are mild, requires enhanced monitoring as it is an important marker regarding follow-up and preventive medicine decisions. Earlier identification and prompt management of Gestational Hypertension can help to reduce the maternal and fetal complications associated with more severe forms of HDP .The objective of the present study is to estimate the prevalence of Gestational hypertension among rural pregnant women. The community based follow up study was done among the pregnant women of Orathur Primary Health Centre [PHC] area in Keerapalyam block of Tamilnadu. The study included all the pregnant women of the Orathur PHC irrespective of the gestational age excluding those lost to follow up and not delivered up to the study period and also those women who developed preeclampsia or other complications during the follow up . The pregnant women were followed upto the delivery and measurements including blood pressure, weight and proteinuria were recorded at each visits. Out of the 344 pregnant women, 31 [ 9%] women developed Gestational hypertension. Factors like Calcium supplement intake, and HDP in previous pregnancy were found significantly associated with gestational hypertension.