Skip to main content

HYPERTENSION MAIN KILLER FOR PREGNANT LADIES

A study conducted by the BMC has revealed that hypertension is the second-largest killer of pregnant women, claiming more victims than even tuberculosis and sepsis (a life threatening ailment that can occur when the body reacts to an infection). Excessive bleeding was found to have caused the deaths of maximum pregnant women.


According to data collected by the civic body, out of the 248 pregnant women who died in the city's hospitals from April 2012 to January 2013, most (11 per cent) died due to excessive bleeding during and after childbirth and hepatitis, followed by 10 per cent due to hypertension, tuberculosis (8 per cent)and sepsis (5 per cent).The remaining were attributed to other medical conditions.

Hypertension affects a woman's organs during pregnancy. However, what medical experts dread is the onset of a serious condition called 'Preeclampsia', where the woman starts passing protein in her urine. The condition can affect the placenta as well as other vital organs like the kidneys, liver, and brain. It can also lead to convulsions or seizures. Medical experts pointed out that while there were cases of women have pre-existing hypertension (or high blood pressure), in a majority of the cases, they developed it during their pregnancy. "Pregnancy in many ways alters the mechanism of controlling blood pressure. Soone has to keep a constant watch on the patient's blood pressure," said Dr Y M Nandanwar, head of the gynaecology department of Sion Hospital, which performs 12,000 deliveries a year, the highest in the city. According to Dr Nandanwar, while BMC's data gave an overall picture, 50 per cent of the pregnant women coming to Sion hospital had hypertension. 

According to gynaecologist Dr Suchitra Pandit, attached to Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, early detection is the best way to prevent maternal deaths resulting from hypertension. "Constantly monitoring blood pressure and maintaining a chart would beideal.If the mother has a history on hypertension during the first birth, doctors can administer a low dose aspirin, which is an anti-platelet drug during her second pregnancy to delay the onset of severe hypertension," said Pandit. Blood pressure can also be controlled through lifestyle changes like reducing salt intake and exercise, advised Dr Nandanwar.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

WORLD'S OLDEST WOMAN

Misao Okawa celebrates her 115th birthday in Osaka, western Japan on March 5, 2013. Okawa was formally recognized as the world's oldest woman.

RARE IMPERIAL PHOTOS ON AUCTION @ LONDON

A Mughal-era manuscript filled with Indian miniatures discovered locked up in a cupboard inside a rural England castle is now up for sale at Sotheby's upcoming auction in London. Also on offer at the auction titled "Art of Imperial India" scheduled for October 8 is a group of albums containing historical black and photographs of India. "The contents of the sale is very eclectic. One very old manuscript with 140 miniatures in it was discovered in a cupboard in a castle owned by the Duke of Northumberland," Edward Gibbs, Chairman and Head of the Middle East and India departments at Sotheby's, London told PTI recently. "The manuscript is quite splendid and looking at the miniatures is a very intimate experience as it was locked up so it has been preserved in pristine condition in its original binding and not subject to natural light or insects. It's an exciting find for scholars and historians and those in auction business," Gibbs said. The ill...

DEATH...TOUGH TO EXPLAIN FOR KIDS

Illustrating children's books is as challenging as working on books for adults as some images stay with us throughout life even if we may forget the story, says French author and illustrator Olivier Tallec. "Many think children's books are about inspiring stories but there’s a lot more to it. There are books which deal with sensitive issues like death, sexuality, loneliness coupled with humour," Tallec told PTI in an interview. "To illustrate such themes for children's books is very challenging because these concepts are difficult to explain. As an illustrator and writer, I have to be careful about what to say and how to say it to kids because they can be influenced easily," he said. In one of his books "The Scar", Tallec, through a series of illustrations captures the theme of loneliness through the eyes of a child. The story written by Charlotte Moundlic is about a little boy who wakes up to the news of his mother's deat...