DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2014.v02i06.049

Pages: 3081-3086

Pregnancy induced hypertension complicates approximately 6% of pregnancies globally and is the most important cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. In our prospective case-control study, sociodemographic profile was studied in 70 PIH subjects (case) divided into three groups as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and eclampsia, and 70 normotensive pregnant women (control) belonging to age group 18 - 40 years at gestational age of >20 weeks. Women who developed pregnancy induced hypertension after 20 weeks of gestation, majority of them were rural dweller Hindus with lower economic status. PIH women between 21 - 30 years of age constituted the major chunk (77.14%) and majority of the PIH subjects (57.14%) were primigravida. Overall, 54.29% PIH subjects belonged to more than 36 weeks of gestational age. Thus, the development of PIH was more common among the women married and conceived at an early age, and primigravida with higher gestational age. Awareness regarding socio-demographic risk factors for PIH shall be helpful in reducing the PIH related morbidity and mortality.