Neonatal morbidity pattern in infants born in Benin City to Nigerian mothers with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are worldwide in distribution with an incidence that names depending on hospital population and criteria cited for diagnosis

METHODS

In a case-control study, the neonatal morbidities of 256 live newborn infants of hypertensive mother were compared with those of 804 infants ofnormotensive mothers.

RESULTS

The incidence of some neonatal morbidities such as birth asphyxia, neonatal seizures, neonatal polycythaemia and hyperbilirubinaemia were significantly higher among babies born to hypertensive mothers compared with those born to their normotensive counterparts. The Caesarean delivery rate was also significantly higher in hypertensive than in normotensive mothers.

CONCLUSION

Pregnancies complicated by hypertension are associated with an increase in neonatal morbidity. The implication is that newborn infants of hypertensive mothers represent a high-risk group requiring close observation and attention, aimed at prevention and prompt treatment of these morbidities.