Comparative Study of Demographic, Clinical and Haematological Parameters in the Third Trimester of Hypertensive and Normotensive Pregnant Women

The purpose of this study was to assess the demographic, clinical, and haematological characteristics of women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) compared to normotensive pregnant individuals during their third trimester. It was a cross-sectional study involving 270 women with HDP and 270 normotensive individuals admitted to the maternity unit at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in South Africa. The definition of HDP followed the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy guidelines. Blood pressure was measured using an automated device and blood samples were collected for measurement of haemoglobin, platelet count, creatinine, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The median age was 27 years while the youngest and oldest were 15 years and 46 years respectively. The unemployment rate was higher among women with HDP compared to normotensive individuals (p = 0.017). HIV prevalence showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). Hypertensive cases had higher median pulse rates [87(74-98) vs 82 (IQR:67-95) b/m, p = 0.023] and lower median platelet counts [(230 (IQR:159-281) vs 240 (IQR:192-293) x109/L, p = 0.009). Additionally, hypertensive cases had significantly (p < 0.0001) higher median levels of urea (3 vs 2 mmol/L), creatinine (60 vs 50 umol/L), AST (28 vs 21 u/L), ALT (14 vs 11 u/L), and LDH (383 vs 270 u/L).In conclusion, women with HDP exhibit distinct clinical and haematological differences compared to normotensive controls, highlighting the importance of careful monitoring for patients with HDP to mitigate potential complications.