Previous abortion and preeclampsia in Kigali, Rwanda: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to investigate the association between previous spontaneous abortion and preeclampsia among pregnant women in Rwanda.

METHODS

A case (preeclampsia)-control (healthy pregnant women) study with 188 women per group was conducted at Kacyiru Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda. Data were collected using questionnaires, and multivariate binary analysis was performed.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in age and parity between the case and control groups. In the case group, 29 (15.4%) and 13 (6.9%) women and 16 (8.5%) and 2 (1.1%) women in the control group had a history of one abortion or two or more abortions, respectively. A multivariate binary regression analysis revealed that women with a history of abortion had a higher risk of preeclampsia compared to their peers who had no history of abortion [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.66, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.35-5.27]. Women with one past abortion (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.12-4.86) and those with two or more past abortions (AOR = 8.29, 95% CI: 1.73-39.63) had a higher risk of preeclampsia. Women with a history of preeclampsia who were rural residents or had an increasing body mass index showed a higher risk of preeclampsia.

CONCLUSION

A history of abortion is associated with preeclampsia. Women with a history of abortion have to receive more frequent care, looking for the development of pre-eclampsia.