Impact of supplemental education on pregnant women over age 35 at risk of preeclampsia.
Literature review
Several articles about the impacts of supplemented education on pregnant women on the risk of preeclampsia have been reviewed and analyzed based on the relevance of the available data. The aim of reviewing these articles was to understand better, what research has been conducted on the elimination and prevention of preeclampsia risk, as well as educating pregnant women on how to apply the knowledge in their daily practice.
Hypertensive disorders are common medical complications among pregnant women, affecting at least 6% to 8% of all pregnancies, yet most women of over age 35 lack knowledge about them. Current research reports that more than 30% of hypertensive disorders are caused by chronic hypertension while about 70% of these disorders are caused by gestation hypertension (Katsuragi et al, 2019). It is also important to note that the spectrum of these diseases ranges from elevated blood pressure to severe hypertension dysfunction. According to Katsuragi et al, the incidences of Hypertensive disorders is dependent on many demographic factors such as maternal age, associated underlying medical conditions, and race. El Sayed & Desoky (2019) tells us that race is not a common factor because according to his study, hypertensive disorders have cut across a large geographical region. One common hypertensive disorder that has put pregnant women at risk of both morbidity and mortality is preeclampsia. Even though preeclampsia can be easily diagnosed, the provision of supplemental education especially to women over the age of 35 can help reduce its risks. The effects of such education have been analyzed in the past literature about preeclampsia.
Previous studies have explained the spectrum of preeclampsia to increase its awareness of women so that they can take risk preventive measures. In his article about “Nursing care for women with pre-eclampsia and/or eclampsia”, Ferreira et al (2016) define preeclampsia as new-onset hypertension which has proteinuria during pregnancy in women. However, most people have been using the term to refer to worsening blood pressure in pregnant women, especially those with a history of chronic pre-pregnancy hypertension. However, the author informs us that preeclampsia consists of both hypertension and proteinuria, which may also include a multisystem of abnormalities such as low platelets and hemolysis. Other constituents of preeclampsia include acute kidney failure, pulmonary edema, reduced amniotic fluid, and placental insufficiency, among other problems (Belay & Wudad, 2019). Pregnant mothers of over age 35 need to be educated about all these constituents of preeclampsia. However, the symptoms of preeclampsia are more than just the mentioned ones. In his study on preeclampsia also, Ferreira et al (2016) inform pregnant mothers that preeclampsia is associated with multiple effects in them, with the common one being that, it may lead to fetal hypoxia and hypoperfusion.
World Health Organization (WHO) acts as a good source of literature about preeclampsia and has been at the forefront to offer supplementary education to pregnant women about the best risk preventive measures. In their research, WHO writes that “hypersensitive disorders affect about 10% of all pregnant women around the world” (World Health Organization, 2011 p.4). According to WHO also, the onset of preeclampsia is after 20 weeks of pregnancy but still, it can occur up to six weeks post-delivery. If it occurs after delivery, preeclampsia can be very risky to women as it can damage their kidneys, brain, and other internal organs. Further research done by WHO professionals suggests that maternal deaths which are caused by preeclampsia are entirely preventable if steps towards the same are taken early. However, the same research suggests that for effective risk prevention for preeclampsia to take place, timely and effective care is an imperative (WHO, 2011). Such care should include but not limited to the administration of antihypertensive medications to control blood pressure, as well as administration of magnesium sulfate to prevent eclampsia seizures.
Supplemental education helps pregnant women to understand the risk factors associated with preeclampsia. Ferreira et al (2016) has done enough research on the same and have also visited various US professionals to seek relevant information related to preeclampsia and how educating pregnant women can help them prevent its associated risks. From his research, Ferreira et al (2016) report that many US health specialists have tested the effects of taking a low dose of aspirin on preeclampsia prevention. The process has worked but still, the process has met many challenges, one of them being a lack of certified sonographers who can offer proper secondary and tertiary care to pregnant women of over age 35 with preeclampsia. In his research also, Katsuragi et al (2019) inform us that it has been a challenge to most nations to manage preeclampsia because identifying its risks is also a challenge. The reason the author offers for this is that the procedure for screening a pregnant woman for preeclampsia is a complicated one and thus extensive training is required. Women are therefore advised to seek medical screening for other conditions such as blood sugar and protein urine so that they can discover preeclampsia and seek the necessary risk prevention measures.
Supplementary education on pregnant women on the risks of preeclampsia can give them enough knowledge on the steps to take, during, and after labor. Literature from the research performed by Fondjo et al (2019) advises both healthcare professionals and pregnant women what they should do during labor. According to the research, nurses should treat most patients of preeclampsia with intravenous (IV) magnesium during labor and 24 hours after delivery. The research also reveals that (IV) magnesium is safe for a fetus, hence pregnant women are advised to take foods rich in magnesium ions. The available literature in the research also gives women important guidelines on what they should do after delivery. Again, El Sayed & Desoky (2019) adds that after giving birth, proteins in urine and blood pressure resolve. After resolving, women who had preeclampsia stands a higher chance of developing cardiovascular diseases, hence the need to regulate the blood pressures and proteins. After delivery also, severe hypertension should be properly treated to prevent women from getting complicated infections (Fondjo et al, 2019). The process of treatment should be continued until the level of blood pressure normalizes and this happens within the first six weeks as long as the treatment process is properly undertaken. Such knowledge is therefore very crucial and critical to pregnant women.
In his article on “Knowledge of preeclampsia and its associated factors among pregnant women” Fondjo et al (2019), claims that supplemental education on pregnant women especially of over age 35 will help them understand the basic information related to preeclampsia health. The research he conducted indicates that most pregnant women do not know the risks associated with preeclampsia and have no opinion on where they should seek medication in case they develop the signs of preeclampsia. Educating them will equip them with basic methods to prevent the health consequences associated with preeclampsia (Fondjo et al 2019). Good patient education and counseling will also help them identify the maternal symptoms of preeclampsia. Recent research by Belay & Wudad (2019) estimates that women diagnosed with preeclampsia but receiving proper education with timely follow-up are likely to have fewer adverse effects of the infection. Education on preeclampsia should be focused on counseling, awareness creation, and lifestyle modification so that women can manage the risks of preeclampsia. Computer-based solution education has played a significant role in people with hypertensive disorders and should also be adopted.
Finally, the supplementary education for the prevention of preeclampsia risks on pregnant women should be broad-based for maximum benefit to be reached. The education should not only help them understand what preeclampsia is but also the unique signs of the condition (Katsuragi et al, 2019). More importantly, pregnant women especially of over age 35 should also be taught about the risks associated with preeclampsia, and the steps they should take if they notice its signs. Effective education would also mean the provision of image-based educational materials to all women across the globe and the availability of such materials should not be limited. For example, a study conducted by WHO about preeclampsia awareness reported that the use of pictographic maternal education cards contributed immensely to early repotting of the symptoms of preeclampsia, which in turn led to the reduction of up to 70% of preeclampsia cases on the region.