Abstract:
Introduction: Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and fetal mortality worldwide. It has been growing and accounts for 14% of maternal deaths. Early detection of pregnant women at risk for preeclampsia is crucial to implement preventive interventions.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine association of the ―ABO‖ blood group and other factors among pregnant women with preeclampsia and without preeclampsia attending Dilla University Teaching and Referral Hospital, Southern Ethiopia.
Method and Materials: Facility based comparative cross-sectional study design was employed from April to September 2024 by using systematic sampling technique to select study participants, 86 cases and 86 controls, from antenatal care unit. Controls were group without preeclampsia/eclampsia. Socio-demographic and obstetric data of participants were obtained through reviewing women’s record and face to face interview by using semi-structured questionnaire. Arterial blood pressure was measured and blood typing and urine dipstick were performed. Data entry and analysis were done using SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean and standard deviation were performed. Logistic regression model were used to determine the association between variables.
Results: A total of 172 pregnant women were included with 100% response rate. We found a statistically significant difference (p=0.004) in the distribution of ABO blood groups between cases and controls. B blood group significantly decreased the risk of preeclampsia (OR 0.3, 95%CI 0.1, 0.6) while A and AB blood group didn’t show association. Nulliparity (AOR 1.34, 95%CI 1.05, 1.8), family history of hypertension (AOR 1.42, 95%CI 1.18, 1.99), family history of diabetes (AOR 1.38, 95%CI 1.16, 1.94), prior preeclampsia (AOR 2.37, 95%CI 1.59, 3.83), and having chronic kidney diseases (AOR 1.18, 95%CI 0.05, 0.65) were predictive of preeclampsia.
Conclusion: This study indicates that blood group B has been associated with low risk of preeclampsia though further large-scale studies are recommended to confirm the role of ABO blood group in preeclampsia
