Are you sure you want to log out?
Objectives: To determine the central corneal thickness values among pregnant women at Federal Medical Centre in Owerri, Imo state, South-East Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based prospective study of healthy pregnant women attending ANC at FMC, Owerri, and their age-matched non-pregnant controls. The study was carried out between April 2016 and January 2017. The study instrument was a researcher-administered open- and close- ended questionnaire/proforma. After collecting relevant socio-demographic data from all participants, and obstetric data from the cases, each participant underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination and central corneal thickness measurement with ultrasound Pachymetry at first, second, third trimesters and at 6 weeks post-partum. Data collected was subjected to descriptive and comparative statistical analysis. In all comparisons, a p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean CCT values during the first trimester, second trimester, third trimester of pregnancy and six weeks post partum were 548.75±36.61, 550.56±37.35, 555.09±38.00 and 551.64±37.60 microns respectively for the right eye; 548.92±36.08, 549.92±36.69, 554.47±36.30 and 550.55±36.28 microns respectively for left eye, while in the control group the mean CCT was given as 548.43±31.58 microns on the right eye and 549.30±33.64 microns on the left eye. There were 2 to 7 microns increase in corneal thickness across the 3 trimesters of pregnancy but this was not statistically significant (p = 0.847 CCTR; 0.870 CCTL). Similarly no significant difference was observed in the mean CCT values between the two eyes in the pregnant and control groups respectively (p>0.05 in the 3 trimesters of pregnancy: p = 0.289 control group) Conclusion: The results of this study accepts the null hypotheses proposed at the beginning of this study: that there is no significant difference in the mean CCT values among pregnant and age matched non pregnant controls (Ho1), however there was a steady increase in CCT values till 3rd trimester of pregnancy after which there was a reduction post partum. Similarly there was no statistical difference between the three trimesters and six week post partum (Ho2); between six weeks post partum & control group (Ho3) and between the right and left eyes in all the groups studied (Ho4). However, complete ocular evaluation of a pregnant woman with eye symptoms or contact lens discomfort should include serial central corneal thickness measurements which may be significant. Keywords: Central Corneal Thickness, Pregnancy, Pachymetry