2İzmir Katip Çelebi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, İzmir, Turkey
3University of Health Sciences Turkey, Prof. Dr. Cemil Taşcıoğlu City Hospital, Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, İstanbul, Turkey
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the association between serum uric acid and calcium levels and maternal and fetal complications in women diagnosed with preeclampsia. Early prediction, prevention, and management of preeclampsia are crucial for clinicians to improve health outcomes.
Methods: The study included 189 women diagnosed with preeclampsia who delivered between 34 and 40 weeks of gestation, alongside a control group of 205 women without hypertension who delivered within the same gestational period. Data were retrospectively collected from the hospital records.
Results: Pregnant women with preeclampsia had an average age of 30.9±6.3 years, which was significantly older than the 27.9±6.2 years in the control group (p<0.05). The average gestational week at birth was 37±1.7 in the case group and 38.0±1.4 in the control group, showing a significant difference (p<0.05). Emergency cesarean sections were more common in the preeclampsia group (p<0.05), whereas normal deliveries were prevalent in the control group (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in elective cesarean section rates between the groups. The case group had significantly higher rates of hospital stay, maternal intensive care requirement, intrauterine growth retardation, and in utero mort fetalis (p<0.05). Serum uric acid and calcium levels were significantly higher in the case group (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Serum uric acid levels were significantly elevated in women with preeclampsia and correlated with severe complications, including eclampsia and hemolysis-elevated liver enzymes-low platelet syndrome, as well as prolonged intensive care stays for newborns. However, serum calcium levels did not show a significant association with maternal and fetal complications, highlighting the need for further research to explore these relationships. Identifying significant predictors of preeclampsia, such as serum uric acid levels, can aid in the early detection and management of preeclampsia, potentially reducing the risk of severe complications. Further randomized, controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings and explore preventive strategies.