bengaluru after suffering a couple of miscarriages neelam 30 had to undergo a preterm delivery because of high blood pressure the infant born after 27 weeks weighed merely 520 grams and had multiple complications respiratory trouble sepsis urogenital problems and a heart condition he was on ventilator and underwent a surgery to close an opening near a blood vessel it was only after three months that neelam could take home her bundle of joy even malini 38 developed pregnancyinduced hypertension pih after five months in her 29th week she gave birth to a baby girl weighing 750 grams through an elective caesarean the newborn needed ventilator support and was discharged after 40 daysof the total number of premature births witnessed in the city 20 of all deliveries half can be attributed to pih or preeclampsia say neonatologists and gynaecologists dr nagesh karthik senior neonatologist manipal hospital said it is a threat to both the mother and the baby complications include high blood pressure which is usually accompanied by seizures leading to unconsciousness seizures are periods of disturbed brain activity that can cause episodes of decreased alertness and convulsions in such cases only a premature delivery can save the childexplaining the causes behind the increasing incidence of pih dr shubha rama rao senior consultant and head of obstetrics and gynaecology at st marthas hospital said late marriages obesity and multiple pregnancies are to blame family history of pih in the mother and her siblings low socioeconomic status and lack of awareness are some other factors leading to preterm births dr rao sees at least 25 pih cases a monthpih not only curbs the foetus growth but also has an adverse impact on the mothers health dr beena jeysingh consultant obstetrics and gynaecology at motherhood sarjapur said if the blood pressure is not monitored regularly and the patient is not on adequate hypertensive medication the fluid around the foetus becomes scanty the blood supply gets compromised and the mother can have convulsions or develop chances of cerebral haemorrhage and liver and kidney troubles leading to acute urinal failure she may also have heavy internal bleedingplan pregnancy in 20s shun smokingwomen can prevent pih by not delaying pregnancy even fertility is at its peak in 20s in both men and women lifestyle also has a major role to play habits like smoking can cause a placental infection which can trigger hypertension smoking and drinking also compromise the normal function of the placenta said dr jeysinghsharing some other solutions dr anita k mohan gynaecologist at fortis hospitals said regular antenatal checkups monitoring of bp and maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy can help curbdiagnose pih at an early stage a 30minute daily walk is advisable excessive intake of ghee rice sweets and fried food needs to be avoided some names have been changedstress unhealthy diet to blamewomen postpone pregnancy and dont follow a proper diet and routine apart from work pressure the stress of an untimely pregnancy takes a toll on their health