To find association of socio-demographic factors of pregnant women with hypomagnesaemia

Magnesium is the second most common intracellular cation which is essential in metabolic processes, protein synthesis, membrane integrity, nervous tissue conduction, neuromuscular excitability, muscle contraction. In obstetrics magnesium has an important role in maternal and foetal wellbeing. Limited data is available in our state to find hypomagnesaemia during pregnancy and its association with socio-demographic profile of the women so the present study was done to find association of socio-demographic factors of the pregnant women with hypomagnesaemia.
Methods: This was a hospital based cross-sectional study. 100 women in their third trimester of pregnancy and were included in the study after obtaining written informed consent. After detail history and examination, serum magnesium was measured. And data were analyzed.
Results: Risk of hypomagnesaemia was 1.3 times in women who are ≥ 25 years, 1.5 times in urban women,3 times in obese women and 3 to 4 times in pre-eclamptic women. No significant association between hypomagnesaemia and gravid and parity. Women with gestational age <34 weeks are 2.7 times at risk of hypomagnesaemia. There was a weak positive correlation between gestational age and serum magnesium and a weak negative correlation between maternal serum magnesium and maternal age, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure.
Conclusion: Magnesium should be measured in every pregnant women so that magnesium deficiency can be identified early and adequate measures and magnesium supplementation can be given to prevent untoward complications.