KINGSTON, Jamaica- Pregnant women are being urged to identify their risks early, join high-risk antenatal clinics, if necessary; closely monitor their blood pressure and act quickly at the first sign of trouble.

The advice came from Programme Development Officer, Public Health Specialist in the Family Unit, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr Carol Lord, at a JIS Think Tank on February 18.

Lord, who won the award for Best Overall Presentation at the National Health Research Conference 2024, was speaking against the background of her research findings on eclampsia and pre-eclampsia in pregnant women. 

Pre-eclampsia is high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy associated with protein in the urine, with or without swelling of the hands, feet and face.  Eclampsia is a severe form of pre-eclampsia that causes seizures and can be life-threatening.

Lord explained that pre-eclampsia and eclampsia have been among the leading causes of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity in recent years.

The study, which was titled ‘Perinatal Outcomes of Mothers with Eclampsia and Pre-eclampsia at Public Hospitals in the Southeast Regional Health Authority (SERHA) Jamaica, a Five-year Review’, focused on the period 2015-2019.

The retrospective cohort study reviewed medical records of patients and their neonates. Data was extracted from 788 records, of which 194 were eclampsia patients, 443 pre-eclampsia patients and 151 were normotensive (having normal blood pressure).

Lord said the findings were very alarming.

“The still-birth rate for mothers with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia was 71 per 1,000 births, compared to six per 1,000 births for mothers with normal blood pressure; babies born to mothers with pre-eclampsia were 17 times more likely to have dangerously low blood flow and oxygen levels at birth and eight times more likely to have low birth weight,” Lord explained.

She also pointed out that newborns of mothers with eclampsia were 14 times more likely to be admitted to the Special Care Nursery at the hospital.

The conclusion of the study was that improved antenatal monitoring, timely and appropriate antepartum intervention, and medical support for preterm births are necessary for better outcomes.

–          JIS