2024/10/10 by Ojewale, Lucia, Olabode, Ifeoluwa
#Birth outcomes #Diabetes #Hypertension #Maternal mortality #Neonatal mortality #Pregnancy
paper · doi:10.60787/tnhj.v24i3.863
Background: Pregnancy associated with an underlying chronic/medical disorder has a huge impact on both maternal and fetal well-being. This study examined the pattern of illness and pregnancy outcomes among women with chronic illnesses in pregnancy. Method: Using a retrospective survey design, 216 case notes of women with at least one chronic condition, delivered in a secondary health care facility in Ibadan city were examined. Data on maternal characteristics, obstetric and social history and birth outcomes were collected. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 20.0) was used for data analysis. Frequencies, mean and percentages were used in descriptive data analysis while Pearson’s chi-square statistics was used in testing the hypotheses. Result: Mean age was 30.10 (±5.8) years, with 70.1% being married. About half (49.5%) had a family history of chronic illness and over a third (36.1%) took alcohol. The most prevalent chronic illness was hypertension (23.1%), followed by co-morbid diabetes and hypertension (19.9%). Adverse maternal outcomes included mortality (4.2%), postpartum haemorrhage (17%) and extended length of hospital stay (48.6%). Adverse fetal outcomes included neonatal mortality (3.2%), stillbirth (3.2%); Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admission (24.5%). There was a significant relationship between multiple chronic conditions and extended hospital stay (p<0.01) maternal mortality (p<0.01) and birth outcomes (p<0.05). Conclusion: Significant adverse outcomes including maternal and neonatal death, were associated with chronic disease (s) in pregnancy. These outcomes were worse in women with multiple chronic conditions. Policies and programmes directed at preventing and managing chronic diseases in pregnancy should be intensified at secondary healthcare facilities.