BACKGROUND Eclampsia occurs in about 1.56% of pregnancies in our country and is an important cause of foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. Altered lipid synthesis leading to decrease in PGI2:TxA2 ratio is also supposed to be an important way of pathogenesis in pregnancy-induced hypertension leading to eclampsia. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the serum lipid levels among women with eclampsia and women having normal pregnancy without hypertension. MATERIALS AND

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... This is a descriptive comparative study where lipid profile of 100 normal pregnant women was compared with 100 eclamptic women. RESULTS Serum cholesterol, LDL & VLDL showed a steady rise with an increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The range of serum HDL showed a steady fall with an increase in systolic & diastolic blood pressure. CONCLUSION There was an increase in the level of serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, HDL, LDL and VLDL in the eclamptic subjects but not in the control group of normal pregnant women, thus eclamptic women had deranged lipid profile due to abnormal lipid metabolism. BACKGROUND Pregnancy is a physiological state but eclampsia is a pathological condition which sometimes leads to death of both mother and foetus. The term 'eclampsia means a lifethreatening condition in which a pregnant woman who does not have a history of epilepsy experiences seizures (tonicclonic). Eclampsia is a serious complication of preeclampsia which is a disorder that can occur during pregnancy that is characterised by hypertension, proteinuria with or without oedema. 1 Eclampsia occurs in about 1.56% of pregnancies in our country and is an important cause of foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. 2 Eclampsia occurs during second and third trimester of pregnancy and it is more common in nulliparous women. 3 It is characterised by blood pressure of ≥140/90 mmHg or rise in systolic blood pressure of more than 30 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure of more than 15 mmHg after 20 weeks of gestation, in conjugation with proteinuria >300 mg/24 hours or greater or equal to 1+ or 100 mg/dL by dipstick response. 4