Durban - South African pregnant women have among the world’s highest rates of hypertension – or high blood pressure, as it is commonly known, according to a new study by the chairperson of the National Committee on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths, Professor Jack Moodley.
“One in 10 pregnant women, especially those in rural areas, have high levels of high blood pressure leading to preeclampsia, a leading cause of death in most pregnant women in South Africa and unless we act urgently, this figure will rise even further,” warns Moodley.
Preeclampsia affects mainly first-time pregnant women and is characterised by high blood pressure and protein in the urine leading to death if not detected and treated early.
“Some of the key factors contributing to these high levels of hypertension among pregnant South African women is the poor antenatal care, largely because of their late presentation at clinics as many fail to book early in their pregnancy because of lack of transport, lack of awareness on not knowing the signs and symptoms to look out for during pregnancy.
“We also suspect there is a genetic and hereditary link, although there is limited research to prove this last factor,” Moodley says.
The findings have prompted Moodley to call for urgent government and stakeholder intervention to reduce the rates of the disorder and the deaths of pregnant women as a result of the condition.
Critical
“We are also calling on pregnant women who have had high blood pressure in a previous pregnancy to start taking one junior aspirin a day and calcium tablets from three months of pregnancy in consultation with their antenatal care giver.
“Of critical importance are the signs that pregnant women need to look out for, for example, swelling of their feet after 20 weeks of pregnancy, blood in the urine and persistent headaches. If these symptoms and signs were present, pregnant women should immediately contact a clinic or their ante-natal care provider.
“As government, we need to drive home the importance of early booking as this is the single most important way we can monitor pregnant women and ensure prompt and effective treatment,” Moodley adds.
Moodley is preparing to present a set of clinical management guidelines to assist public health facilities across the country to deal with pregnant women diagnosed with high blood pressure.
Apart from pregnant women, South Africa also has among the highest rates of hypertension in the non-pregnant category, with 6.3 million South Africans living with the condition.
A recent study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) also found that 78 percent of the more than 3 800 South African participants in the study tested positive for high blood pressure, with less than one in 10 controlling their condition through some form of medication.
The WHO study also revealed that of the six countries surveyed for hypertension, India reported the most effective treatment rate at 55 percent, Ghana the lowest rate of control over the condition at four percent, Russia the least effective treatment at 17 percent and South Africa, the highest rate of lifestyle risk factors for obesity at 45 percent, and low physical exercise at 59 percent.
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