FALLING POPULATION INCIDENCE OF ECLAMPSIA - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF SHORT-TERM OUTCOME

Background, Eclampsia remains a serious complication of pregnancy and childbirth and factors related to morbidity require continued evaluati on. Design. Retrospective case-control study on the incidence and outc ome of eclampsia. Setting. A defined total island population over 20 y ears. Methods. All centrally collected birth registration returns in I celand for the years 1972-1991 were reviewed to identify women with th e diagnosis of eclampsia, selecting women delivering immediately befor e and after the eclamptic case as controls. Information from all place s where women had delivered was obtained to ensure that no case was mi ssed. Maternity records were reviewed to verify the diagnosis and obta in maternal and neonatal data. Results. Forty women had eclampsia (0.0 46% of deliveries). Theincidence diminished between the decades 1972-8 1 and 1982-91 (p < 0.05), as did the incidence of eclamptic convulsion s before delivery. Eclamptic women were more often primiparous, younge r and delivered earlier than controls. Preterm delivery and a low pond eral index were more common among offspring of the eclamptic mothers a nd the male/female ratio was lower. Conclusion. The incidence of eclam psia in the population is falling. Common features related to the cond ition were confirmed. Severe maternal illness is rare, but the babies often appear growth-retarded and are delivered preterm.