Unveiling the Alarming Impact of Severe Preeclampsia at UHCMC N’Djamena

Introduction

Severe preeclampsia continues to pose a serious challenge to maternal and fetal health worldwide. A recent study from the University Hospital Center of Mother and Child (UHCMC) in N’Djamena sheds critical light on its epidemiology and prognosis in Chad. Visit https://www.obstetricgynecoljournal.com/ for more groundbreaking research in this field. This article highlights key findings and emphasizes the urgent need for improved maternal care strategies in resource-limited settings.

Key Findings: A Snapshot of the Study

Conducted over three years (2017-2019), this prospective, descriptive survey included 406 cases of severe preeclampsia out of 13,599 deliveries — a frequency of 2.9%. The study focused on:

• Young, primiparous women: Average age of 23.2 years, with 61.3% being first-time mothers.
• Lack of antenatal care: 47.9% had no prenatal checkups.
• Cesarean as a dominant delivery mode: 64% of cases.
• High maternal and fetal risks: Maternal mortality rate was 11.1%, while fetal mortality reached 19.9%.

Read the full study at https://doi.org/10.29328/journal.cjog.1001099

Risk Factors and Clinical Presentation

Several risk factors were identified:

• Primiparity (61.3%)
• Family history of hypertension (9.1%)
• Absence of antenatal care (47.9%)

Functional signs were dominated by:

• Headaches (34%)
• Blurred vision (9.8%)
• Epigastric pain (9.6%)

Proteinuria of ≥3 crosses was observed in 83.7% of cases, confirming the diagnosis.

Therapeutic Approaches and Outcomes

Medical management emphasized:

• Magnesium sulfate administration in 98.3% of patients aligning with WHO guidelines for anticonvulsant therapy.
• Antihypertensive management primarily using Nicardipine (69.4%).
• Cesarean sections as the primary mode of delivery (52.4%).

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) emphasizes the use of magnesium sulfate in severe preeclampsia to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes (source).

Obstetric decisions to terminate pregnancies earlier were often necessitated by severe maternal or fetal compromise.

A detailed analysis can be found in our main journal article.

Maternal and Fetal Prognosis

The prognosis revealed worrying trends:

• Maternal complications: Eclampsia was the leading complication (40.8%), followed by anemia and HELLP syndrome.
• Fetal complications: Prematurity (36.4%) was the most frequent, leading to increased neonatal mortality.

Maternal mortality (5.1%) was notably higher compared to other African and Asian studies, highlighting the need for early detection and effective intervention.

Why This Study Matters

The high maternal and fetal mortality rates underscore critical challenges:

• Inadequate prenatal screening
• Limited healthcare infrastructure
• Cultural and socioeconomic barriers to timely care

Strengthening antenatal programs and educating communities about the importance of early check-ups can dramatically change outcomes.

Explore more studies at https://www.obstetricgynecoljournal.com/ and join the conversation by sharing your thoughts in the comments below!

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