Table 1.
Maternal and fetal characteristics of the study groups.
| Maternal characteristics | Pre-eclampsia (n = 42) | Control (n = 53) | p unadj. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age at delivery, year | 31.3 ± 4.7 (mean ± SD) | 30.4 ± 4.6 | 0.371 |
| Gravidity | 1.9 ± 1.2 | 2.1 ± 1.3 | 0.407a |
| Parity | 0.3 ± 0.5 | 0.6 ± 0.7 | 0.029 a |
| Nulliparous | 30 (71.4%) | 27 (50.9%) | 0.043 |
| Onset of pre-eclampsia (based of delivery) | |||
| Early (≤34 + 0 weeks of gestation) | 7 (16.7%) | — | — |
| Late (>34 + 0 weeks of gestation) | 35 (83.3%) | — | — |
| History of pre-eclampsia | 6 (14.3%) | 0 (0%) | 0.006 |
| Weight, kg (self-reported, pre-pregnancy) | 68.8 ± 10.6 | 70.5 ± 8.9 | 0.337 |
| Height, m | 1.66 ± 0.07 | 1.67 ± 0.06 | 0.389 |
| BMI, kg/m2 (self-reported, pre-pregnancy) | 25.1 ± 4.0 | 25.2 ± 2.5 | 0.644 |
| Systolic blood pressure at first antenatal visit, mm Hg | 122 ± 12 | 115 ± 9 | 0.003 |
| Diastolic blood pressure at first antenatal visit, mm Hg | 79 ± 10 | 72 ± 7 | <0.001 |
| Highest systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 171 ± 17 | 124 ± 9 | <0.001 a |
| Highest diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 110 ± 9 | 83 ± 6 | <0.001 a |
| Proteinuria (maximum), g/24 hour | 4.3 ± 4.2 | — | — |
| Chronic hypertension | 8 (19.0%) | 0 (0%) | 0.001 |
| Gestational hypertension | — | 0 (0%) | — |
| Gestational diabetes mellitus | 6 (14.3%) | 0 (0%) | 0.006 |
| Pregestational diabetes mellitus | 4 (9.5%) | 0 (0%) | 0.035 |
| Type 1 diabetes | 3 (7.1%) | 0 (0%) | 0.083 |
| Type 2 diabetes | 1 (2.4%) | 0 (0%) | 0.442 |
| Mode of delivery | |||
| Vaginal | 26 (61.9%) | 46 (86.7%) | 0.005 |
| Caesarean section | 16 (38.1%) | 7 (13.2%) | 0.005 |
| Prenatal betamethasone treatment | 10 (23.8%) | 0 (0%) | <0.001 |
| Fetal characteristics | |||
| Birth weight, g | 2866 ± 824 | 3596 ± 423 | <0.001 a |
| Relative birth weight, SD | −0.8 ± 1.2 | 0.0 ± 0.8 | <0.001 |
| SGA | 3 (7.1%) | 0 (0%) | 0.083 |
| Gestational weeks | 37.0 ± 3.2 | 39.7 ± 1.3 | <0.001 a |
| Sex | 0.614 | ||
| Male | 20 (47.6%) | 28 (52.8%) | |
| Female | 22 (52.4%) | 25 (47.2%) | |
Chronic hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg detected before 20 weeks of gestation. Gestational hypertension was defined as blood pressure ≥140/90 without proteinuria. SGA = small-for-gestational age. aNon-parametric test was used.