Maternal – Fetal Outcome in Cases of HELLP Syndrome at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital

Aims: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in resource-poor nations like Africa. This is even more predicated in HELLP (Haemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets) syndrome, which is a life-threatening pregnancy complication and is usually considered to be a variant of preeclampsia. The present study therefore investigated maternal – fetal outcome in cases of HELLP syndrome at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital.

Study Design: The study is a descriptive retrospective investigation, which comprised 210 pregnancies complicated by HELLP syndrome, which were acquired from their separate medical records.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at the Delta state University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH),Oghara, Delta State, Nigeria over a 24-month period.

Methodology: In newborn medical records, several outcome variables were evaluated. The gestational age was calculated using obstetric characteristics such as menstrual history, early clinic checkup, and ultrasound at 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Results: The average age of the mothers in the study was 29 years old, with a 95th percentile age of 40 years old. Preeclampsia risk was also enhanced by having more children. Preeclampsia is a condition that affects pregnant women who are more than 30 weeks pregnant. The HELLP syndrome has a significant impact on the outcome of the fetus. New stillbirth accounted for 4.6 percent of fetal outcomes, whereas early neonatal death, which occurred within the first 28 days of life, accounted for 3.4 percent of the 210 participants in the study. In addition, 2.3 percent of stillbirths were macerated, and 10.3 percent of fetuses died in the womb.

Conclusion: There is a relationship between age and the occurrence of preeclampsia, according to the HELLP syndrome classification. In each age group, a minor percentage of the subjects (6%) had Class I HELLP syndrome, while the majority (60.5%) had Class II HELLP syndrome.