Pregnancy has being found to be associated with changes in lipid profile and this differs with
each trimester. In this study, serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density
lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were estimated in 120 pregnant women
during normal gestation (40 in each trimester) and in 40 volunteers, apparently healthy non –
pregnant women serving as control. TC, TG and HDL in the first, second and third trimesters
when compared with that of the control subjects were significantly high (p< 0.05). The change in
low density lipoprotein was not significantly high (p> 0.05) in the first trimester but became
significant (p< 0.05) in the second and third trimester when compared with the control.
Comparism between first, second and third trimesters showed that TC, TG and LDL in the 2nd
and 3rd trimesters were significantly higher than in the 1st trimester. Although, not significant in
the 1st trimester HDL followed similar trend. Conclusively, increase in susceptibility to the
development of coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, hypertension and other foetal/maternal
diseases associated with dyslipidaemia in the subjects studied may be unlikely since the increase
in LDL is accompanied by corresponding increase in the scavenging lipid- HDL. We therefore
recommend that lipid panel be part of routine investigation during pregnancy.
