Kisumu medics call for early preeclampsia detection, treatment

Kisumu county medics have called for early detection and treatment of preeclampsia to reduce maternal deaths within Lakeside City.

This follows a rise in the number of cases with 25% of expectant women who visit antenatal clinics in the area diagnosed with the disease.

According to the Acting Director of Medical Services Emma Obegi, all expectant women should go for early screening and detection to save lives.

Obegi told the women to make use of the health facilities across the county and get tested during the first seven weeks of pregnancy for proper diagnosis and treatment.

She noted that Preeclampsia which is one of the hypertensive diseases in pregnancy can happen to any expectant woman after the twentieth week or up to six weeks after delivery.

The disease is common in teenage mothers and women aged 30 and above according to health records.

"If not detected early and treated, the disease can result in seizures, brain damage, stroke, premature birth and death," she said.

The doctor was speaking during World Preeclampsia Day celebrations in Kisumu where they educated the community on the sign and symptoms of Preeclampsia and the importance of early diagnosis, ANC and treatment.

The event also provided a platform for pregnant women, mothers, women with lived experience and health workers and providers to share experiences, challenges and best practices in dealing with Preeclampsia.

However, the Kisumu Reproductive Health Coordinator Jane Owuor noted that about a quarter of maternal deaths in the area as a result of eclampsia.

Owuor said the disease was behind the rising morbidity and mortality rates in the area.

"Most of the mothers fail to get treatment on time and seek medical attention when the condition has advanced to eclampsia."

She asked expectant mothers to attend antenatal clinics for their blood pressure to be taken and the parameters monitored.

“The more you stay with the patient at home the more the condition worsens affecting the health of the mother and the baby,” she said.

Access to Medicines Platform CEO Dorothy Okemo said preeclampsia indicators in Kisumu and the country were worrying.

Okemo noted that the lack of capacity for proper diagnosis especially at level three facilities has worsened the situation across the country. 

She said most of the level three facilities, lacked magnesium sulphate which is used to prevent seizures in women with preeclampsia.

Okemo further called for concerted efforts to address preeclampsia.