Nutritional Status of Pregnant Women and Urine Calcium-to-Creatinine Ratio During 24th - 28th Weeks of Pregnancy and Their Relationship with the Incidence of Hypertensive Disorders During Pregnancy

Abstract

Background: Considering that gestational hypertension may have severe effects on the mother and fetus, this study was conducted to examine the nutritional status of pregnant women and urine calcium-to-creatinine ratio during 24th - 28th weeks of pregnancy and their relationship with the incidence of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study recruited 538 pregnant women attending prenatal clinics in Tehran, Iran in 2011. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was completed for all mothers at the baseline for nutritional intake assessment, and a random urine sample was taken between 24th - 28th weeks of pregnancy to calculate the Ca/Cr-ratio. Hypertensive disorders were classified into two groups: a, gestational hypertension in case of detecting a blood pressure ≥ 140/90; and b, preeclampsia in case of increased proteinuria. Data were analyzed using SPSS V.16 and N4 software programs. Results: In this study, 14 (6.2%) pregnant women had hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. The desired nutritional status and Ca/Cr-ratio had no significant relationship with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. The regression test was used to investigate the variables affecting hypertensive disorders, which showed the significant relationship of pre-pregnancy BMI and mother’s age with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: In this study, the incidence of hypertensive disorders had no relationship with the Ca/Cr-ratio and the nutritional status of the pregnant women. However, since more than 80% of the participants had undesirable nutrition, mothers’ nutrition in the first half of pregnancy is necessary to be under observed.