Publications

Pre-eclampsia stands as a major contributor to maternal mortality, perinatal complications,preterm births, and restricted fetal growth. Globally, it ranks among the top three causes ofmaternal mortality and affects 6-8% of pregnancies, contributing to approximately ninepercent of maternal deaths in Africa. This study aimed to identify factors linked to preeclampsiaprevalence among pregnant women receiving antenatal care at FortportalRegional Referral Hospital. Conducting a hospital-based cross-sectional study involving 60pregnant women, data collection employed a structured questionnaire. Statistical analysiswith SPSS version 25 determined Odds Ratios with 95% confidence intervals, markingsignificance at p values <0.05. Findings revealed several significant associations. Sociodemographicfactors like lower maternal age, limited education, and reduced income werelinked to pre-eclampsia, alongside obstetric factors including lower parity (≤ 4), overweightstatus, a history of gestational diabetes mellitus, shorter interpregnancy intervals (≤ 2years), and previous diagnoses of gestational hypertension. The study underscores thecritical need for urgent interventions in the district to address these identified risk factorsand prevent and manage pre-eclampsia effectively among pregnant women attendingFortportal Regional Referral Hospital. Both socio-economic and obstetric factorssignificantly contribute to the occurrence of pre-eclampsia, necessitating targetedinterventions for improved maternal and fetal health outcomes