Effect of home care on the maternal progress and fetal outcome among pregnancy induced hypertensive mothers

ABSTRACT

Two groups, 50 subjects each, were formulated An experimental group which followed a home care plan under the direction of the investigators in addition to the hospital routine care, and a control group which received the hospital treatment only. Results pertaining to maternal progress indicated improvement in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure from initial to final readings among experimental group [F = 38.3 diastolic, F = 47.6 systolic readings, P <0.0001]. At the same time, no improvement was observed in systolic or diastolic blood pressure in the control group. Also, a significant difference was found in proteinuria from initial to final urine analysis [X2 = 46.1, P <0.0001]. In the experimental group, no difference was found in the level of proteinuria among control group [X2 = 9.2, P = 0.06]. Finally, no significant difference was found between experimental and control groups in relation to the degree of edema. Results related to fetal outcome showed a significant difference in the infant's Apgar score between home care and no care groups. None of the home care infants had a low Apgar score, compared with 20% of the control group. In addition, none of the infants in the home care group had died, while 20% of infants in the control group had died a few hours after delivery. 34% of infants of control group had small birth weight for gestational age compared with only 8% of infants in the home care group