Characterization of preeclampsia in the Province of Villa Clara

Abstract

Introduction: Preeclampsia is a complex, progressive, multi-causal multisystem syndrome of variable severity and highly heterogeneous evolution. It is one of the most serious conditions in pregnancy and a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. It is considered a process of immunological maladaptation, with local and systemic inflammation and significant endothelial dysfunction.
Objective: To characterize patients with preeclampsia, from a clinical, epidemiological, and immunological perspective, who attended the "Mariana Grajales" Gynecological-Obstetric Hospital in Villa Clara province, from January 2019 to December 2021.
Methodology: A descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia, including a sample of 143 pregnant women.
Results: Pregnant women with preeclampsia were predominantly in the 20-34 age group, with higher education, and nulliparous women. Dystocic labor and preterm births were prevalent. The most frequently found risk factors were nulliparity, overweight and obesity, and chronic hypertension. A decrease in IgG and IgM immunoglobulins and complement protein C3 was found in most pregnant women.
Conclusion: Preeclampsia is determined by various epidemiological, clinical, and immunological factors, among others. These factors, when combined, allow us to establish strategies for essential preconception follow-up in primary health care, perform the necessary prenatal checkups, achieve early diagnosis, and thus prevent severe forms and complications in the mother-child relationship.