Perinatal death due to pre-eclampsia in an African city

Tafari, N.; Naeye, R.L.; Tafari, N; Naeye, R.L

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Perinatal death due to pre-eclampsia in an African city

Tafari, N.; Naeye, R.L.

East African Medical Journal 55(10): 463-466

1978

ISSN/ISBN: 0012-835X

PMID: 738184

Document Number: 129961

The rate of pre-eclampsia in a representative sample of Addis Ababa pregnancies was 3%, only 0.2% being classified as severe. The rate of perinatal deaths due to the disorder was 1.3/1000 births. There was multiple evidence of foetal undernutrition in the infants who died including a relative undergrowth of adrenals, spleen and liver and a relative acceleration of lung maturation. Placentae showed an excess of large infarcts and intervillous thrombi. Seemingly contradictory evidence was found on the possible role of nutrition in the disorder. Women who weighed over 59 kg before pregnancy had greater perinatal losses than those who weighed less. Those who spent the least and those who spent the most on food had 8 times more perinatal losses from the disorder than those who had intermediate expenditures.