A fertility expert, Dr Uchenna Ayogu, has attributed the prevalence of eclampsia death in pregnancy to an unhealthy lifestyle in some women during pregnancy. Eclampsia, a medical condition that causes one or more convulsions, occur in pregnant women suffering from high blood pressure. it is often followed by coma and poses a threat to the health of mother and baby.
Ayogu, who is the Chief Medical Director, St. Stephen Specialist Hospital, Achara Layout, Enugu disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday.
According to him, an unhealthy lifestyle often leads to high BP (blood pressure) during pregnancy and other health issues such as being overweight or obese, or not staying active. He also said that 70 percent of pregnant women had certain underlying factors that could contribute to eclampsia. Such factors include kidney disease and certain medical conditions, which they are unaware could develop into hypertension.
The fertility expert further explained that women experiencing their first pregnancy would likely have their blood pressure surged. He also said that women using advanced technologies like In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) during the conception process could increase chances of high BP in a pregnant woman. The doctor, however, advised pregnant women to do a routine check and conduct a test if they noticed oedema (swelling of body) to see if their urine contain protein.
“Registering for antenatal in a good hospital will help monitor the factors”, he said.