High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among normotensive and hypertensive pregnant women in Ghana.

Background: Hypovitaminosis D in pregnancy is associated with adverse health outcomes in mothers, newborns and infants. This study assessed the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in normotensive pregnancies and in preeclampsia, evaluated the association between vitamin D deficiency and preeclampsia risk; and determined the foeto-maternal outcome in preeclamptic women with vitamin D deficiency.

Methods: This case-control study was conducted among pregnant women who visited the Comboni Hospital, in Ghana from January 2017 to May 2018 for antenatal care.

Altered Bioavailability of Nitric Oxide and L-Arginine Is a Key Determinant of Endothelial Dysfunction in Preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence indicates that endothelial dysfunction is central to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. This study assessed the level of the components of the arginine-nitric oxide pathway to evaluate endothelial dysfunction in normotensive pregnancies and pregnancies complicated with preeclampsia.