Exposure to toxic cooking fumes, such as those produced by burning wood or charcoal, can cause serious complications for pregnant women with high blood pressure (hypertension). These fumes can lead to a condition called preeclampsia, which is characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine.
The frequency of eclampsia, a dangerous illness during pregnancy in which high blood pressure causes potentially fatal seizures, and the number of fatalities brought on by indoor household pollution were both studied by King’s College London researchers.
Cooking and heating with solid fuels like wood and charcoal are more prevalent in low and middle-income nations, and it has been shown to raise the risk of unfavorable birth outcomes, including placental hypoxia (when the fetus does not get enough oxygen).
The researchers evaluated more than 2,690 cases of eclampsia in Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and found a significant correlation between deaths due to indoor household pollution and eclampsia rates and the correlation was even more prominent when eclampsia occurred at home.
King’s College London’s Professor Andrew Shennan, one of the lead authors on the paper published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, said the findings demonstrate how air pollution can impact vulnerable populations the most.
In-house cooking and household pollution may increase the risk of seizures. We believe that less oxygen will get to the mother’s brain, and this may trigger a fit in women who already have pre-eclampsia. We are lucky to have such a large dataset of women with eclampsia, as it only occurs in 1% of women with pre-eclampsia. This has allowed us to uncover this new finding. This could help explain observed inequalities in maternal healthcare in low and middle-income countries.
Professor Andrew Shennan
“In-house cooking and household pollution may increase the risk of seizures. We believe that less oxygen will get to the mother’s brain, and this may trigger a fit in women who already have pre-eclampsia,” he said.
“We are lucky to have such a large dataset of women with eclampsia, as it only occurs in 1% of women with pre-eclampsia. This has allowed us to uncover this new finding. This could help explain observed inequalities in maternal healthcare in low and middle-income countries.”
In a previous study by King’s College London, scientists found that ninety-four percent of maternal deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, with 22% due to hypertensive (high blood pressure) disorders like eclampsia.
Professor Shennan added: “Knowing why women have these severe outcomes allows us to reduce the risk of eclampsia and work out how to save lives.”
“We have large programmes of work in India, Sierra Leone, and Zambia where many women have complications related to high blood pressure. Our current research is aimed at identifying the women at risk but now we are looking at ways to reduce risk, including earlier delivery. This data will help us to give advice about avoiding risk at home.”
Next, scientists will look at whether pre-eclampsia prevalence or morbidity from severe symptoms like eclampsia are affected by climate change.
In addition to taking extra precautions to avoid harmful cooking fume exposure, pregnant women with hypertension should seek medical assistance if they develop any symptoms including headache, vision problems, or abdominal pain.
