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Other factors such as ag e , pa r i ty, a nd multiple pregn ancy
wer e not found i n this study to be associated with pos t pa r tum
hyper tensi on as ha s been observed in some ea rl i e r studies
[1 75 , 194 ] . This may be because of the small number of t he
cases wi t h t his condition ob s e rv e d in t h i s study.
Seven ( 20%: ) of t he 35 hypertensives seen a t follow u p had
s e vere hy pe r tension wi th d i a s t olic b l ood pressures ove r 100 mm
Hg. Almost two-thirds ( 63 . 8%) of all hyp ertensi ves, including
a l l seve n found with seve re hy pertension , were su bjects ....ho
ha d fa iled to a ttend the morb i dity clinic and ....ere (o und a t
home. Since hy pertension is a more or less an asymptomatic
d isorder there were no symp toms t o prompt SUbjects t o attend
the clinic , unlike cases o f genital tract infections where the
symptoms o f abdominal pa in or perinea l so reness pr ompt e d t he
subjects to seek help .
Thus the SUbjects with postpartum hypertension ....ithout
medical fo l lo....- up postpartum may remain untreated and t hus
develop co mplications of t he disorder and present much later
wi th its sequelae. Indeed during data co llection it was
disheartening to fi nd mot he rs a t home with blood pressures o f
180/120 mm Hg who were un a ware t he y ....ere i n real he alt h
dange r .
The prevalence r ate of one in t en SUbjects r ecorded here
for postpartum hypertension i s high and cannot be t a ):en
ligh t l y . It calls for e arly s creening of women in the early