PAGE 30
Healthy Living
PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013
Curbing eclampsia-related deaths among pregnant women By Ifeanyi Nwoko
M
axwell Idowu’s wife died in the seventh month of her pregnancy. “My wife just complained of a slight headache and she went inside the bedroom to rest; before I knew what was happening, her condition became worse and we had to go to the hospital. “Ifeoma died along with the baby even before we reached the hospital and the doctors later told me she had suffered from eclampsia,” Idowu recalls. The woman’s death aptly exemplifies the fatal nature of eclampsia, an illness which occurs during the later stages of pregnancy. Eclampsia involves high blood pressure as well as convulsion, and it could sometimes degenerate into a coma. Mrs. Margaret Ladele, who suffered from pre-eclampsia and eclampsia during her first pregnancy, fortunately survived the sickness and she was able to recount her ordeal. “I was warned by my doctor here in Nigeria to always find time to rest and not to stress myself too much; however, because I did not notice the symptoms of any illness, I did not heed the advice. “When I got to England, my pregnancy was just six months; I was feeling weak and I went to see a general practitioner and I discovered my blood pressure was 220/160, which was extremely high. “I was admitted to the hospital as I was close to having a convulsion, I was eventually delivered of my baby who was, however, premature at 28 weeks,’’ she said. Speaking on pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, Dr. Matthew Akagwu of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, said that the two conditions are peculiar to pregnant women. He however noted that, pre-eclampsia is a condition which could develop into eclampsia if not controlled.
“It is marked by high blood pressure and a high level of protein in the urine; women who have preeclampsia will often experience swelling in their feet, legs and hands. “Pre-eclampsia is usually noticed in the final stages of the second half of pregnancy, which is usually the third trimester. “If undiagnosed, pre-eclampsia can lead to eclampsia, a serious condition that can put you and your baby at risk and in some cases, cause death. “One can also have pre-eclampsia and not have any symptoms but preeclampsia, if unchecked, would lead to eclampsia,’’ Akagwu said. The causative factors of pre-eclampsia are not known, although medical experts suggest poor nutrition, high body fat or insufficient blood flow to the uterus as possible causes. Again, there is no known cure for pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. To forestall eclampsia relateddeaths, Dr Kayode Obende, a Gynaecologist at the Garki Hospital, Abuja, advised pregnant women to always go for regular antenatal checks. According to him, severe pre-eclampsia comes with hypertension, headache, visual disturbances and pain in the upper abdomen. “This could be as a result of poor maternal nutrition or lack of adequate oxygen supply to the foetus,” he added. “If there is any indication of pre-eclampsia; detecting it early would help to prevent complications, hence the need for pregnant women to register for antenatal as soon as possible. “If you go for antenatal clinic and you do not have your blood pressure checked, you have not undergone proper antenatal care,” he said. Obende said that the women at the risk of developing pre-eclampsia in pregnancy include teenagers, women with first pregnancy and those who got pregnant late in life. Although swelling of the feet and hands are possible symptoms of pre-eclampsia, a consultant, Dr. Maxwell Odiegwu, said that not all swellings were as a result of pre-eclampsia. Odiegwu, an Obstetrician/ Gynaecologist at the Garki Hospital, Abuja, said that some swelling could be as a result of oedema (the swelling of the body during pregnancy). “What really happens is that the body volume increases as there is more water and more blood production. “The increase in the body’s ability to retain liquids is necessary for the baby’s development; it is even more disturbing when expectant women do not develop oedema,” he said. Odiegwu, however, conceded that, the fact that oedema was a natural process did not mean that it was painless, adding that the movement of water to the legs during the day was as a result of gravity. “For us as doctors, we only get worried when we notice oedema as well as elevated blood pressure. “Then, we have to intervene by
monitoring the blood pressure and doing a urine test because a serious condition called preeclampsia might develop,” he said. Nevertheless, Odiegwu stressed that most of the water retained in the body during pregnancy is quickly passed out through urine few weeks after childbirth, as the water is no longer needed. He advised pregnant women to eat nutritious food, saying that oedema differed from person to person but stressed that the presence of oedema in women who are not pregnant or men is an indication of a medical problem. “Oedema can be a sign of a serious heart, liver or kidney problem and it should not be ignored,” he added. All the same, experts insist the only pragmatic way to curb eclampsia-related deaths among pregnant women is for expectant mothers to attend antenatal clinics regularly, while the government should also provide functional health care facilities in the rural areas. NAN