Socio-Demographic Determinants of Eclampsia in Calabar; A Ten-Year Review

A ten-year review of the socio-demographic determinants of eclampsia was conducted at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) Calabar from January 1988 to December, 1997. There were 12.749 deliveries during the study period, with 38 documented cases of eclampsia, giving an incidence of 3.0 per 1000 births. The mean age of the eclamptics was 21.3 years and mean parity was 1.3 children. The incidence of twin gestation among exclamptics was 158 per 1000 births. Five (13.2%) patients had past histories of eclampsia, while in 7 (18.4%) cases history of change of spouse was obtained in the index pregnancy. Thirty three (86.8%) patients were unbooked for antenatal care and eclamptic fits occurred more often in the antenatal period (55.3%). Majority of patients (39.5%) had no formal education and 34.25% were subsistence farmers living in the suburbs of Calabar. More cases of eclampia presented in the rainy season (May to October) than in the dry season (November to April) – 63.2% versus 36.8%. Knowledge of the socio-demographic determinants of eclampsia can be used in planning measures to reduce the incidence of this preventable obstetric emergency. Mary Slessor Journal of Medicine Vol.3(2) 2003:72-7