ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ

Samenvatting

This project holistically looked at challenges in the management of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) - conditions that are associated with hypertension during pregnancy – in a developing country setting. It looks at limitations in the care of women with HDP during antenatal, delivery and in the immediate period after delivery in Nigeria. The project further examined the short- and intermediate-term (up to 1 year) medical health outcomes occurring because of previous HDP and evaluates the roles of communities and the potential contribution that affected women could play in improving their outcomes. 
All aspects of antenatal care, except for interpersonal communication skills, were found to be sub-optimal especially at the primary care level. Similarly, level of adherence to recommended management practices after delivery for women with HDP was found to be poor. Although the traditional belief is that hypertension occurring for the first time during pregnancy resolves within six to eight weeks after delivery, we found that substantial number of these women continued to suffer from hypertension up to one year after delivery. And in the one year since delivery, women with HDP in pregnancy showed higher risk of developing chronic medical conditions such as metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney diseases as compared to women with normal blood pressure. 
This thesis concludes that strict vigilance on all women with intention of becoming pregnant is recommended before they conceive, during pregnancy, delivery and thereafter based on recommended practices, as hypertension could persist unnoticed and new chronic medical condition could arise.