Haiti: Spared An Eclampsia Crisis
Aug 11, 2010
"I developed eclampsia the day before I delivered and I realize that's serious," says Crisla, who was readmitted a day after giving birth at the MSF hospital, Isaïe Jeanty, in Port-au-Prince.
Crisla Florestal, 19, gave birth to twin girls following major complications. "They are so pretty, but I can't take care of them yet. I have too much pain." She nods towards another woman who smiles, as if to confirm that this unit – for complicated deliveries -- deserves its name.
Many pregant women here have had difficult pregnancies, for a variety of reasons. Crisla, who knows that her own story has a happy ending, explains that complications can arise without warning. "During my pregnancy, the doctors advised me to stay calm so that my blood pressure would not rise. However, the day before I gave birth, I had a problem at home. I got angry and I fainted. When I woke up the next day, I realized that I was in the hospital with the two babies next to me. Then they told me that I had developed acute eclampsia and that the babies were born by Cesarean section."
The young woman said that she was making a good recovery after the birth until she went home, where she began to bleed again. "I came back to the hospital right away. The doctors realized that I still had blood clots in my belly so they operated again to clean everything out."
The patient says that it is very difficult to be pregnant given living conditions in Haiti today. She says that the death of so many people in the earthquake has been especially hard for pregnant woman, who need stability. She adds that economic pressures create a lot of stress because most women are dependant on other family members and do not work.
"I became pregnant in the last year of high school. My family supported me so that I could contine going to school. I was spared from this eclampsia crisis, but the future is not rosy. Now I have more priorities -- I also have to educate two children."
Crisla Florestal, 19, gave birth to twin girls following major complications. "They are so pretty, but I can't take care of them yet. I have too much pain." She nods towards another woman who smiles, as if to confirm that this unit – for complicated deliveries -- deserves its name.
Many pregant women here have had difficult pregnancies, for a variety of reasons. Crisla, who knows that her own story has a happy ending, explains that complications can arise without warning. "During my pregnancy, the doctors advised me to stay calm so that my blood pressure would not rise. However, the day before I gave birth, I had a problem at home. I got angry and I fainted. When I woke up the next day, I realized that I was in the hospital with the two babies next to me. Then they told me that I had developed acute eclampsia and that the babies were born by Cesarean section."
The young woman said that she was making a good recovery after the birth until she went home, where she began to bleed again. "I came back to the hospital right away. The doctors realized that I still had blood clots in my belly so they operated again to clean everything out."
The patient says that it is very difficult to be pregnant given living conditions in Haiti today. She says that the death of so many people in the earthquake has been especially hard for pregnant woman, who need stability. She adds that economic pressures create a lot of stress because most women are dependant on other family members and do not work.
"I became pregnant in the last year of high school. My family supported me so that I could contine going to school. I was spared from this eclampsia crisis, but the future is not rosy. Now I have more priorities -- I also have to educate two children."
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