Critical Care Nursing Tutor at the Nurses and Midwifery Training College, Pantang, Joycelyn D. Yaokumah has advised pregnant women and nursing mothers to report to the nearest hospital without delay if they have headaches or notice that their feet are swollen. The same applies if they have blurred vision.

According to Joycelyn Yaokumah, the timely reporting of these signs which could be symptoms of pre-eclampsia, could save lives.

After seeing patients die from pre-eclampsia while she worked at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital as a nurse, she says she was terrified when later she was diagnosed with the condition.

She feared the worst- that she was going to die too, from the serious pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure.

Speaking in an interview with Adom News reporter Prince Owusu Asiedu, she said before going to teach at Pantang, she worked at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. She later got pregnant and gave birth in May 2012 at the LEKMA Hospital in Accra where she was diagnosed with high blood pressure (BP) and put on medication for six months.

Read also: Managing Gestational Diabetes: Key Insights for Expectant Mothers

She had complained of a headache to her mother, who advised that she cover her head with a scarf since she had just given birth. She did as her mother suggested but the pain persisted so she reported to the hospital where she was told she had high blood pressure.

Joycelyn said she got pregnant again in 2018. This time, her feet got swollen but was told by many that it was because she was going to give birth to a baby girl. She did not believe the farce so she proceeded to the hospital to be examined.

She later gave birth at the Legon Hospital in 2018, asked to be transferred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where she complained of headaches and blurred vision. Examinations revealed she had pre-eclampsia and so she was put on medication for three years- from 2018 -2021 when she recovered.

Joycelyn explains that pre-eclampsia complications may set on from the 5th month of pregnancy to three months after childbirth. Apart from high BP, symptoms may also present as protein in the urine, severe frontal headache, pedal edema, and blurred vision.

Pre-eclampsia at close range

Pre-eclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure (hypertension) and often signs of damage to other organ systems, most commonly the liver and kidneys. It typically occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had previously been normal. Left untreated, pre-eclampsia can lead to severe complications for both the mother and baby, including a condition called eclampsia, which can involve seizures.

Key Symptoms of Pre-eclampsia:

• High blood pressure (140/90 mm Hg or higher)
• Protein in the urine (proteinuria), indicating kidney problems
• Severe headaches
• Vision changes (blurred vision, light sensitivity, or seeing spots)
• Upper abdominal pain, usually under the ribs on the right side
• Nausea or vomiting
• Decreased urine output
• Shortness of breath due to fluid in the lungs
• Sudden weight gain and swelling, particularly in the face, hands, and feet

Risk Factors:

• First pregnancy or a history of pre-eclampsia
• Multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets)
• Chronic hypertension
• Kidney disease or diabetes
• Obesity
• Advanced maternal age (over 35)

Treatment:

The only definitive treatment for pre-eclampsia is delivery of the baby, usually through early induction or cesarean section, depending on the severity of the condition and the gestational age of the baby. Other management strategies include close monitoring, medications to lower blood pressure, and possibly hospitalization.

Early diagnosis and careful management are crucial to prevent complications such as seizures (eclampsia), stroke, organ damage, or premature birth.