Study of Fundal Changes in Patients with Pregnancy Induced Hypertension

Abstract

Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a common obstetric complication that can lead to serious maternal and fetal outcomes, including intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Fundal height measurement is a simple, non-invasive clinical tool used to assess fetal growth during pregnancy. This study aims to evaluate fundal height changes in women diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension and to explore its potential as a screening tool for fetal growth restriction in these patients. The study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital, involving 100 pregnant women diagnosed with PIH between 20 and 40 weeks of gestation. Fundal height measurements were taken at regular intervals, and the data were compared with the expected growth curves. The results showed a significant reduction in fundal height measurements in PIH patients compared to normotensive controls. A strong correlation was observed between reduced fundal height and the incidence of IUGR in hypertensive pregnancies. This suggests that fundal height measurements could be an effective method for identifying fetal growth restriction in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension. Early detection of IUGR could allow for timely interventions to reduce maternal and fetal morbidity. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and to establish guidelines for integrating fundal height measurement into routine prenatal care for hypertensive pregnancies.

Keywords: Pregnancy-induced hypertension, fundal height, intrauterine growth restriction, fetal monitoring, hypertensive pregnancies.