Hypocalcaemia and calcium intake in pregnancy: A research protocol for critical analysis of risk factors, maternofoetal outcomes and evaluation of diagnostic methods in a third-category health facility, Cameroon

Hypocalcaemia in pregnancy remains a major health issue, particularly in the developing world where daily calcium intakes are suboptimal. This electrolyte imbalance can lead to severe maternofoetal and childhood consequences. Calcium supplementation, amongst others, contributes significantly to meet...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2020-11, Vol.15 (11), p.e0241812-e0241812
Main Authors: Ajong, Atem Bethel, Kenfack, Bruno, Ali, Innocent Mbulli, Yakum, Martin Ndinakie, Aljerf, Loai, Telefo, Phelix Bruno
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Albumin
Albumins
Atomic absorption analysis
Atomic absorption spectrophotometry
Biochemistry
Biology and Life Sciences
Blood
Calcium
Calcium - administration & dosage
Calcium - blood
Cameroon - epidemiology
Children
Complications and side effects
Cross-Sectional Studies
Demographic aspects
Diagnosis
Diagnostic software
Diagnostic systems
Electrical measurement
Electrolytes
Ethics
Evaluation
Female
Health aspects
Health care facilities
Health risks
Hospital facilities
Hospitals
Humans
Hypertension
Hypocalcemia
Hypocalcemia - diagnosis
Hypocalcemia - drug therapy
Hypocalcemia - epidemiology
Medical diagnosis
Medicine and Health Sciences
People and Places
Physical Sciences
Population
Potentiometric analysis
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications - diagnosis
Pregnancy Complications - drug therapy
Pregnancy Complications - epidemiology
Pregnancy Trimester, Third - blood
Pregnant women
Registered Report Protocol
Risk analysis
Risk Factors
Science Policy
Sensitivity analysis
Serum Albumin, Human - analysis
Spectral analysis
Spectrophotometry
Statistical analysis
Statistical methods
Supplementation
Surveys and Questionnaires
Term Birth - blood
Womens health
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Summary:Hypocalcaemia in pregnancy remains a major health issue, particularly in the developing world where daily calcium intakes are suboptimal. This electrolyte imbalance can lead to severe maternofoetal and childhood consequences. Calcium supplementation, amongst others, contributes significantly to meeting calcium demands in pregnancy. With ionised calcaemia as the gold standard for diagnosis, total calcaemia and albumin-corrected calcaemia in other pathological states have been found to overestimate the burden of hypocalcaemia. The main objectives of this study are to describe the blood calcium level (total, albumin corrected, and ionised calcaemia) and associated maternofoetal outcomes while identifying determinants of calcium supplementation and ionised hypocalcaemia. This study will also evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of albumin corrected calcaemia as a diagnostic tool for hypocalcaemia (ionised calcaemia as the gold standard) among pregnant women in the Nkongsamba Regional Hospital, Cameroon. Our study will target a total of 1067 term pregnant women who shall be included consecutively into the study as they arrive the maternity of the Nkongsamba Regional Hospital for their last antenatal care visit. Data shall be collected using a semi-structured interview-administered questionnaire and blood samples collected for total plasma calcium, albumin and serum ionized calcium assays. Additional data will be collected at birth (maternal and foetal variables; foetal outcomes evaluated as secondary outcomes). Total calcaemia and albuminemia shall be measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, while ionised calcaemia will be measured by ion-selective electrode potentiometry(using MSLEA15-H electrolyte analyzer) per standard BIOLABO and MSLEA15 protocols, respectively. Data will be analysed using the statistical softwares epi-Info version 7.2.2.16 and STATA version 16. This study will present a more precise estimate of the burden of hypocalcaemia in late pregnancy as well as identify and analyse the different factors associated with calcium supplementation and ionised hypocalcaemia among term pregnant women in a developing world setting. Maternofoetal outcomes associated with hypocalcaemia will be determined as well as the sensitivity and specificity of total and albumin-corrected calcaemia in diagnosing hypocalcaemia. Our findings will contribute significantly to designing or strengthening interventions to control this electrolyte imbalance.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0241812