ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Back pain is not uncommon in pregnant women, but it is often under-reported and can be disabling. International studies report a high prevalence of back pain, especially in the last trimester. Little is known about the prevalence of back pain in South African pregnant women. AIM: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of back pain in a cohort of pregnant women. SETTING: Public primary healthcare clinics and the eThekwini municipality of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. METHODS: A descriptive cohort design was used to survey pregnant women (n = 303) over the course of their pregnancy. Data were collected at the first antenatal visit and again in the third trimester. Participants gave consent and ethical clearance was obtained from an institutional research ethics committee, from the eThekwini Health District and KZN Provincial Department of Health. RESULTS: The respondents were young Black African women (mean age of 25.8 (± 6.0), who were mostly unemployed (70.7%), and resided in a resource poor setting. Back pain prevalence at the first antenatal visit and the third trimester was 12.4% (n = 35) and 10.9% (n = 5), respectively. This condition was associated with carrying water and residing in a hostel or an employee's property. Being single was associated with less risk for developing back pain. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of back pain was low in this cohort of women, yet it resulted in a negative impact on the women's ability to cope with daily life. CONTRIBUTION: This is one of the first studies to describe back pain in a South African pregnant population.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Based on the increased pre-eclampsia and HIV antenatal incidence in South Africa, we determined the angiogenic profiles due to its mechanistic link in preeclampsia development, throughout uncomplicated pregnancies in HIV positive and negative women. OBJECTIVE: To determine the angiogenic profiles throughout uncomplicated pregnancies in HIV positive and HIV negative women. We explored possible correlations between angiogenic serum levels and selected maternal characteristics (HIV status, gestational age, maternal factors, and pregnancy outcomes). METHOD: This study was conducted at a primary health care facility in Durban, South Africa. Forty-six pregnant women aged 18-45 years, were enrolled at 10-20, 22-30 and 32-38 weeks' gestation, respectively through convenient sampling. Serum samples were collected and quantitatively evaluated using ELISAs. Clinical and epidemiological data were analysed using STATA (version 14). A probability level of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of those enrolled, 28.3% were nulliparous, 82% were HIV positive and none developed pre-eclampsia. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased slightly throughout pregnancy. Fluctuating angiogenic and anti-angiogenic levels were demonstrated during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: This study contributes to the current angiogenic knowledge in normotensive pregnancies, and may assist as a reference range against which these factors may be compared in HIV complicated pregnancies.