IMPACT OF PREGNANCY INDUCED HYPERTENSION ON ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS OF A NEWBORN AT BIRTH

Abstract

Study design: Observational, cross sectional study. Background: Pregnancy induced hypertension remain amongst the most signicant and intriguing unsolved problem in obstetrics. It leads to preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), perinatal death, antepartum hemorrhage and maternal death. This study was conducted to determine the impact of pregnancy induced hypertension on anthropometric measurements of a newborn at birth. Method: The present study was conducted over a period of 18 months on newborns of mothers with Pregnancy Induced Hypertension admitted in Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and received in department of Pediatrics in Sri Guru Ram Das University of Health Science, Sri Amritsar. It was an observational study in which newborns of mothers with pregnancy induced hypertension were taken up as subjects to determine the weight, height, head circumference and length at birth. A total of 80 pregnant women with PIH were enrolled in this study following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: In 80 pregnant females with PIH, most of the cases were of preeclampsia (51%), followed by gestational hypertension (43%). 54% of total PIH mothers delivered preterm babies. Mean weight, head circumference and length of babies were signicantly affected by the severity of PIH. 56% newborns had normal birthweight. Conclusion: It was observed that length followed by head circumference and weight were signicantly affected by the severity of PIH in mothers.