19/01/2025
ECLAMPSIA: ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATHS IN PREGNANCY
CASE: Mrs Ibironke, a 30 year-old woman fell into labor and was rushed to the Emergency Room of the nearest hospital. The baby's head was already almost popping out and she immediately delivered a beautiful baby boy. 10 minutes after, she started having seizures (convulsions)! Her husband was distressed, he didn't know what was happening. Doctors and nurses came to the rescue, and the convulsions stopped eventually.
Unfortunately, she still died the following morning.
What went wrong?
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It was a good hospital and the doctors & nurses did all that could have been done. It wasn't their fault. Besides, Mrs Ibironke had never been to this hospital for antenatal care.
Mrs Ibironke died of Eclampsia, one of the commonest causes of death in pregnant women in Nigeria. There was a warning stage, called Pre-Eclampsia, which actually started some weeks earlier but Mrs Ibironke had not taken note.
In pre-eclampsia, a pregnant woman has high blood pressure, swollen hands and feet, and headaches. When her urine is tested using special paperstrips, there will be protein in urine.
When it is not well managed, it can then lead to Eclampsia, where the woman starts having convulsions and may go into coma.
Eclampsia is very deadly and the risk of dying from it is very high.
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Dear pregnant women,
Good news! Pre-eclampsia can be managed properly if detected on time:
1) Usually, the first sign is high BP (hypertension) in pregnancy. So you must go for regular check ups and ensure that your health professional checks your BP at every visit!
2) Don't say "My BP has always been normal and we don't have hypertension in our family". In fact, many women who have preeclampsia had normal BP before pregnancy.
3) Don't assume that because your BP was normal in previous pregnancies, therefore you don't need to check your BP in this pregnancy.
4) If your BP is high, you have swollen hands and feet, or headaches, especially from month 5, immediately visit the hospital. Urine tests & blood tests will be done for you. Your doctor may then give you drugs that will lower your BP & prevent you from having convulsions or progressing to Eclampsia.
5) And don't consider delivering at home, mission house or a quack clinic. No, please.
Seeing a woman convulse and die during childbirth is a gory sight.
Let's educate others!!!!
Written by Adebisi Yuusuf Adebayo...