Demographic characteristics in preeclamptic women in Macedonia.

BACKGROUND Worldwide, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia contribute to the death of a pregnant woman every three minutes. AIM To determine the demographic risk factors and values of blood pressure to predict preeclampsia. MATERIAL AND METHODS Demographic and clinical features of 300 normotensive pregnant women aged 28 ± 5 years and 100 preeclamptic women aged 28 ± 6 years, were assessed. Women with multiple pregnancies were excluded from the study. RESULTS Women with less educational attainment had a higher risk of mild and severe preeclampsia. Weight gain during pregnancy in control and pre eclamptic women were 14 ± 3 and 20 ± 5 kg, respectively (p < 0.01). Women with severe preeclampsia had high significantly shorter gestations then the other two patient groups (p < 0.01). Compared to normotensive women, at 6 to 12 weeks of gestation, pre eclamptic women had higher systolic (102 ± 7 and 113 ± 9 mmHg respectively), diastolic (64 ± 5 and 74 ± 10 mmHg respectively) and mean arterial pressure (77 ± 5 and 87 ± 8.01 mmHg respectively). CONCLUSIONS Women with basic education or illiterate have a higher risk of developing preeclampsia. During the first or second trimester of pregnancy, mean arterial pressure is the best predictor for preeclampsia.