By Suzan Edeh

Bauchi—The Medical Director of Pahlycon Hospital in Bauchi State, Dr. Hassan Mohammed Garba has said that a medical condition known as Post-partum haemorrhage, which causes excessive bleeding in women after child birth, accounts for the highest cause of maternal mortality rate in the country.

Garba, who spoke at a health programme tagged FM Health Guide, in Bauchi State, also said that the same condition accounted for over 60 percent of maternal mortality in northern Nigeria.

He listed factors responsible for excess bleeding in women after delivery to include induced hypertension, maternal obesity, multiple pregnancy, maternal age (40 years and above) as well as induction of labour and fibroid surgery among others.

According to him, “when you talk of post-partum haemorrhage, there are questions one will have to ask.

“Is the uterus of the womb healthy or could it have undergone a surgical operation whereby there is a form of scan tissue inside it before pregnancy?”

“Secondly, the woman might have undergone Caesarean or surgery and before she could heal properly as prescribed by the doctor; she got pregnant very early.

“It is also possible that there is a fibroid already sitting in the womb, which after delivery, makes the womb not to be able to contract normally to close up the blood vessels that fills it. In this case the woman will continue to bleed.”

Garba further said that the danger of multiple delivery in women could lead to a weak womb whereby the muscles surrounding the uterus becomes too weak and this may trigger a burst of blood that may be uncontrollable.

He then asked pregnant women to go for regular antenatal services, check their blood level and eat healthy a diet to prevent excessive bleeding after delivery.

The Bauchi State government recently distributed 75,000 doses of Misoprotol Oral to communities in the state to treat women with cases of excessive bleeding after child birth.