COMPARISON OF SERUM MAGNESIUM LEVEL BETWEEN PRE-ECLAMPTIC AND NORMOTENSIVE PREGNANT PATIENTS

Abstract

Background: Pre-eclampsia is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Objective: This study was conducted to compare serum magnesium levels between pre-eclamptic and normotensive pregnant women. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, from November 2024 to June 2025. A total of 355 pregnant women were enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling. Inclusion criteria were age 18–45 years, gestational age ≥28 weeks, singleton pregnancy, and presentation for routine antenatal visits. Women with systemic diseases or on drugs affecting calcium/magnesium metabolism were excluded. Participants were divided into two groups: pre-eclamptic and normotensive.  Results: Out of the 355 participants, 82 (23.1%) were pre-eclamptic and 273 (76.9%) were normotensive. Mean serum magnesium level was significantly lower in pre-eclamptic women (1.52 ± 0.23 mg/dL) compared to normotensive women (1.84 ± 0.27 mg/dL, p<0.001). Low magnesium (<1.7 mg/dL) was observed in 69.5% of pre-eclamptic women versus 23.4% of normotensive women. Severity analysis showed that women with severe pre-eclampsia had lower serum magnesium levels (1.44 ± 0.25 mg/dL) compared to those with mild disease (1.58 ± 0.20 mg/dL, p=0.02). Conclusion: It is concluded that serum magnesium levels are significantly reduced in pre-eclamptic women compared to normotensive pregnant women, with lower levels linked to greater disease severity and adverse maternal outcomes. Routine monitoring of magnesium during antenatal care may be valuable for early risk detection. Further prospective studies are recommended to explore the preventive role of magnesium supplementation in pre-eclampsia.