Health
Gynecologist Advises Pregnant Women To Check Blood Pressure Regularly
- Pre-eclampsia, Gynecologist advises pregnant women
A Warri-based gynecologist, Dr Agnes Onotojah, has advised pregnant women to check their blood pressure regularly in order to avoid Pre-eclampsia.
Onotojah gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Friday.
Read Also: Fresh Updates On 2020 United States Election
Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and the kidney.
It usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had been normal.
According to her, it can also lead to serious complications for both mother and child if left untreated.
Rarely, she said pre-eclampsia could develop after delivery of a baby, a condition known as postpartum pre-eclampsia.
“Pre-eclampsia sometimes develops without any symptoms.
“High blood pressure may develop slowly, or it may have a sudden onset, she said.
She advised pregnant women to monitor their blood pressure as an important part of pre-natal care, adding that the first sign of pre-eclampsia is commonly associated with a rise in blood pressure.
According to her, blood pressure that exceeds 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm) or greater documented on two occasions, at least four hours apart is abnormal.
She said that the exact cause of pre-eclampsia involves several factors and experts believe it begins in the placenta.
“The placenta is an organ that nourishes the foetus throughout pregnancy.
“Early in pregnancy, new blood vessels develop and evolve to efficiently send blood to the placenta,’’she said.
She advised pregnant women to regularly attend your pre-natal visits so that their care providers can monitor their blood pressure.
Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:
Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.
Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.
Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611
