The significance of proteinuria in pre-eclampsia; proteinuria associated with low birth weight only in pre-eclampsia.

To examine the significance of proteinuria in pre-eclampsia, we studied 87 nulliparous patients in whom pre-eclampsia was diagnosed clinically and whose blood pressure and urine findings returned to normal after delivery. There was no difference in the gestation at diagnosis, highest systolic and diastolic blood pressures before treatment/delivery, or the number given antenatal hypotensive therapy between patients with proteinuria (group A, n = 46) and without proteinuria (group B, n = 41). Group A patients had higher plasma urea concentration (p less than 0.02), but similar creatinine and urate concentrations to group B patients. Group A patients had a higher rate of induction of labour (p less than 0.04) and Caesarean section before labour (p less than 0.04), and the mean gestation at delivery as well as the birth weight were less (p less than 0.03 and p less than 0.004, respectively). The results suggest that proteinuria in pre-eclampsia is associated with more severe fetal involvement and growth retardation only, but not with an increased severity of the maternal condition such as hypertension and a higher plasma urate concentration.