Pregnancy Induced Hypertension As A Risk Factor For Low Birth Weight Of Baby At Term In Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: PIH is the commonest medical disorder comprises of 10-15% of all pregnancies. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are responsible for significant maternal and perinatal morbidity and are one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. Early detection and appropriate management of the pregnancy may improve the outcome for both the mother and fetus. The aim of the study was to identify pregnancy induced hypertension as a risk factor for low birth weight of baby at term in tertiary care hospital. Methods: A sample of 100 patients was selected from Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Karachi through non-probability purposive sampling technique. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of presence and absence of pregnancy induced hypertension. Total of hundred patients were taken. Fifty patients of PIH and fifty were normotensive patients. The patients in both groups were followed till term. After the delivery of the patients, weight of the babies was compared in both groups. Low birth weight is classified as the weight of the infant below 2.5 kg at term. Results: Babies born to the patients with PIH were found to be low birth weights as compared to the birth weight of the babies born to normotensive patients. 76% of the babies born to hypertensive patients were low birth weight whereas 18% of the babies born to normotensive patients were found to be of low birth weight. Conclusion: There is significant association between PIH and low birth weights of babies at term. It was significant enough to make the p-value 0.01 which is less than the level of significance (0.05). Key Words: Pregnancy induced hypertension, low birth weight, term pregnancy.