Prevalence and Characteristics of Early vs. Late-Onset Preeclampsia: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study: Prevalence and Characteristics of Early vs. Late-Onset Preeclampsia

Faraz Bakht; Rabeea Shahid; Munawar Afzal; Kainat Ashraf; Aqsa Khalid; Anum Hayat; Sajid Hameed

doi:10.54393/pjhs.v6i6.2987

Authors

Faraz Bakht Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, Narowal, Pakistan
Rabeea Shahid Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, Narowal, Pakistan
Munawar Afzal Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, Narowal, Pakistan
Kainat Ashraf Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, Narowal, Pakistan
Aqsa Khalid Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, Narowal, Pakistan
Anum Hayat Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, Narowal, Pakistan
Sajid Hameed Department of Public Health, Green International University, Lahore, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pjhs.v6i6.2987

Keywords:

Early Onset Preeclampsia, Late Onset Preeclampsia, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus , Prevalence

Abstract

Preeclampsia is the most frequent medical complication of pregnancy and a leading contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality. However, there is a lack of data on the outcomes of pre-eclamptic women, making the current study necessary. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and compare the clinical characteristics of early-onset and late-onset preeclampsia among pregnant women. Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted for 6 months at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, Narowal. It involved 95 pregnant women. Patients were selected using non-probability and consecutive sampling. Women at ≥20 weeks of gestation and diagnosed with preeclampsia were categorized as early onset (≤34 weeks) and late onset (>34 weeks) of preeclampsia, and their outcomes were compared based on age, parity, BMI and history of GDM and pre-existing hypertension. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Results: The mean age of the patients was 26.2 ± 5.3 years, the mean gestational age was 34.4 ± 2.4 weeks, and the mean BMI was 26.9 ± 3.5 kg/m². There were 29 (30.5%) primiparas and 66 (69.5%) multiparas. Obesity was observed in 24 (25.3%) women, while 16 (16.8%) had pre-existing hypertension, and 23 (24.2%) had GDM. Early-onset preeclampsia was found in 27 (28.4%) women, while 68 (71.6%) had late-onset preeclampsia. Conclusions: It was concluded that a considerable proportion of women had early-onset preeclampsia. Both early and late onset preeclampsia warrant routine screening in pregnant women to allow timely identification and management, which may improve feto-maternal outcomes.

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