title: The effects of maternal weight and age on pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Haiti.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patient data from Maison de Naissance (MN), a rural maternity clinic in Haiti, were analyzed to determine the prevalence of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders and the extent to which maternal weight and age are associated with these disorders in the MN population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study design was used with cases defined as pregnant women who were presented at MN with pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders (pregnancy-induced hypertension, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia) and controls defined as those women who delivered babies at MN and were not diagnosed with a pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder. The final cohort size was 622 controls and 67 cases. Odds ratios were calculated using multivariate logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia was 7.0%. Older maternal age at delivery (OR = 3.18; 95%CI: 1.31, 7.76) and higher maternal weight (OR = 3.24; 95%CI: 1.76, 5.98) measured during prenatal care were significantly associated with pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders. Prenatal care was not significantly associated with reduced risk of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders was high relative to rates in other developing countries. More is required to reduce the rate of pre-eclampsia perhaps by targeting older and women with high weight for preconception and more intensive prenatal care.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health , Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Ahlia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sekkarie
authors.affiliation: a Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health , Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raskind-Hood
authors.affiliation: a Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health , Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hogue
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006205:Haiti / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Maternal health; pregnancy induced hypertension; prenatal care