Seasonal trends in the occurrence of eclampsia

Abstract

Background: Preeclampsia and eclampsia are major obstetric complications with unclear etiologies. Understanding the exact association with different weather patterns may help us in understanding what factors may be involved in triggering these events. Lower temperature, higher humidity and lower barometric pressure are linked to eclampsia. Objective: To know the relation between variations of weather and incidence of eclampsia in patients presenting in, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. Materials and methods: Total number of deliveries and patients presenting with eclampsia were recorded from January 2008 to December 2012. Meteorological data was acquired from the regional meteorological center recording the monthly average temperature, humidity, barometric pressure and rainfall during the study period. The incidence of eclampsia and the seasonal trend were analyzed for Maximum (MMM) temperature, humidity at 5 pm, 5 pm atmospheric pressure (ATM) and rainfall. Study design: Cross sectional study Study setting: Gyne Unit 2, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore Results: Over a 60-month period, a total of 31,331 deliveries were recorded, of which 579 patients developed eclampsia (1.85%). There was a statistically significant Pearson’s correlation coefficient, the incidence of eclampsia was found to increase with MMM 5 pm temperature (0.516, p < 0.05) and rainfall (0.427, p < 0.05) and 5 pm ATM atmospheric pressure (-0.501, p < 0.05). No significant correlation was found with humidity (0.093, p > 0.05). Conclusion: Incidence of eclampsia has direct linear relationship with increased temperature and rainfall and inverse relationship with 5 pm atmospheric pressure. The humidity had no apparent effect.