Expectant mothers urged to seek early medical care
A Medical Officer at the Paediatrics Department of the Sunyani Regional Hospital in the Brong Ahafo Region, Dr (Mrs) Esinam Nyarko, has advised expectant mothers to seek early medical attention to enable health officials to detect abnormalities and other problems associated with their pregnancies for immediate attention.
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“Report cases early to health facilities, especially when you detect some abnormalities in your pregnancy for attention”, she told expectant mothers, adding, “Don’t be shy or afraid to report cases to doctors or midwives for help because they are there to help you”.
Dr Nyarko, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic concerning the number of preterm cases recorded at the hospital in the year 2014 and how expectant mothers could avoid such problems, said most of the preterm or premature deliveries could be prevented if such cases were reported on time to health facilities for assistance.
Preterm babies
The term preterm or premature deliveries are used interchangeably to refer to pregnancies that are delivered before the normal gestational period.
Dr Nyarko said in 2014, the hospital recorded 1,023 deliveries out of which 242 were preterm, with 60 deaths from those preterm cases.
“Reporting early and being monitored by doctors or midwives could prevent preterm delivery; that is why we are encouraging pregnant women to come for antenatal care”, she said.
She attributed some of the causes to Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), high by Red AdBlocker" href="#">blood pressure
, malaria, hypertension and weak cervix.
In addition, she said, premature contractions due to infections in the urinal tract could also lead to preterm birth.
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She, however, cautioned pregnant women who resorted to the use of concoctions to refrain from such practices as they had the tendency of leading to preterm birth.
Dr Nyarko explained that when expectant mothers went to hospital for early check ups, such avoidable causes could be prevented to save the mother from delivering prematurely and save the life of the baby as well.
“If the blood pressure or sugar level of the expectant mother is high, we have to control it to save the mother from delivering prematurely”, she said.
Signs and symptoms
She cautioned expectant mothers who urinated frequently than the normal or had pains when urinating to seek early medical attention, saying, “Some of the signs include urinating very frequently or having pains when urinating”.
Survival of preterm babies
According to Dr Nyarko, babies who were delivered prematurely “are at risk of infections, bleeding, hypoglycemia (low by Red AdBlocker" href="#">blood sugar) and hypothermia (having low temperature), adding that when the babies were too cold, they could die.
She explained that because most of the preterm babies had their lungs not fully developed, they could not breathe properly.
“If you are not breathing properly; it means you are not getting enough oxygen and if you are not getting enough oxygen, the brain can be affected”, adding “That means that low oxygen reaches the brain”.
Dr Nyarko, however, said the survival of the preterm babies mostly depended on the gestational period and that the longer the gestational period, the brighter the babies’ chances of survival.
She was quick to add that some of the interventions included the use of oxygen and vitamin K to prevent the babies from bleeding, and the use of incubators to keep them warm to prevent hypothermia.
Writer’s email:zadokgee89@yahoo.com