SEASONAL VARIATION IN THE INCIDENCE OF ECLAMPSIA

Introduction Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy complicate 5-10 percent of all pregnancies and cause maternal mortality. Changes in osmolality due to low temperature and high humidity during monsoon season may trigger the onset of eclampsia. Elucidating its association with meteorological factors may help us to understand the etiopathology of this disorder and prevent its occurence. Aim and objectives To compare the seasonal variation in incidence of eclampsia during monsoon season (June - December) with the rest of the year (January - May) in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.Study Design and study period Retrospective study. January 2009- December 2010. Materials and Methods After obtaining Institutional ethical clearance, data was collected from records of cases admitted to Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai from January2009- December2010. Depending on the date of onset of convulsions the cases were allotted to monsoon season and rest of the year. Meteorological data was acquired from the Regional Centre,Indian Meteorological Department. Inclusion Criteria Pregnant women more than 20weeks gestation, blood pressure more than 140by90 mm of Hg, bilateral pitting pedal edema, proteinuria, with eclampsia were included for the study. Patients with disorders like chronic hypertension, psychiatric disorders, etc which can be confounding factor for fits were excluded from the study. Statistical Analysis The results were analyzed using chi square test. Significance was drawn at a p value of less than 0.05. RESULTS The incidence of eclampsia during monsoon season was 1.12percent and the rest of the year was 1.02 percent for the study duration. But it is not statistically significant. Conclusion Evaluation of the influence of weather in triggering eclampsia may give an insight to this less understood disorder and prevent its occurrence.