ABSTRACT
Background: Pregnancy is a period in which a woman carries one or more foetus in her uterus. It is typically divided into three trimesters based on gestational age which is measured in weeks and months. Gravidity is referred to the number of times a woman has been pregnant. Pregnancy comes with several changes in metabolism, resulting to changes biochemical markers in pregnant women, some of which to certain extent may pose health risks in those with existing health conditions such as high blood pressure. The study of these changes becomes necessary to determine and arrest the risks should they exist during pregnancy. Aim: The study was aimed at evaluating the effects of gravidity on biochemical markers in normotensive and hypertensive 3rd trimester pregnant women. Materials and Methods: At Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 women. The consenting patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to one of two groups: normotensive (50 normotensive pregnant women at their third trimester) or hypertensive (50 hypertensive pregnant women at their third trimester) (HPW2T). The subjects in each group were subsequently split into three categories depending on gravidity: primigravida (one pregnancy), multigravida (two or more), and grand multigravida (five or more). For the assessment of TC, TG, HDL, and LDL, fasting blood samples were taken using the venepuncture technique. AIP, CR-I, CR-II, AC, and APoB/APoA1) biochemical indices were computed quantitatively. At a p<0.05, the data were examined using ANOVA and the Tukey comparison test. Result: There was no significant difference in the mean levels of the biochemical parameters among the gravidity groups in the normotensive group except for LDL and APoB levels that was significantly higher, p<0.05. The hypertensive group had no significant difference in the mean levels of all studied parameters among the gravidity group, p>0.05.. Conclusion: In this study conducted at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, gravidity had no impact on most biochemical markers in normotensive and hypertensive pregnant women at their third trimester.