TITLE:
Vitamin D Status and the Determinants of Preeclampsia in Pregnant Women in Goma (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
AUTHORS:
Kabuyanga Kabuseba Richard, Balungwe Sifa Marcelline, Elongi Moyene Jean-Pierre, Lundimu Tugirimana Pierrot, Kalenga Muenze Kayamba Prosper, Kakoma Sakatolo Zambeze Jean-Baptiste
KEYWORDS:
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Vitamin D Deficiency, Preeclampsia Determinants
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.10 No.6,
June
30,
2020
ABSTRACT: Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a common condition, causing maternal and perinatal
morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the absence of fully satisfactory
treatment, screening remains one of the pillars of management. Low vitamin D
status has been identified as a risk factor for PE. But, data on vitamin D status
and risk factors for PE in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is scanty. The aim of this study is
to determine the level of Vitamin D and risk factors in preeclamptic patients
in our environment. Methods: To fill this gap, we conducted a multicenter
incident case control study on 190 pregnant women, 95 cases and 95 controls,
receiving care from seven hospitals in Goma, in the eastern DRC, from April 1 to December 31, 2019.
Socioeconomic, diet habits, clinical data, urinalysis and serum 25-hydroxy vitamin
D [25(OH)D] levels were analyzed. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum
25(OH)D Results: The median vitamin D level in preeclamptic women was lower than in the
control group (21.7 [Interquartile Range (IQR) = 19.2 - 24.1] ng/ml versus 28.5
[IQR = 24.9 - 31.4] ng/ml; (p 1)
vitamin D deficiency, Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.77 at 95% Confidence Interval-CI of [1.22 - 6.31]; p = 0.015; 2) previous history of PE (OR = 12.30; 95% CI [1.92 - 18.98]; p = 0.008) and 3) high
BMI (OR = 2.82; 95% CI [1.28 - 6.21]; p = 0.010). Smoking (OR = 0.33; 95% CI [0.22 - 0.98]; p = 0.015) and consumption of dairy products (OR = 0.39; 95% CI [0.17
- 0.92]; p = 0.032) were protective. Conclusion:
The odds of PE were 3-fold in pregnant women with vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D
supplementation during pregnancy might reduce the risk of developing PE and
ultimately reduce the consequences on maternal and perinatal advert outcomes.