Mother self-reports compared with medical diagnosis of Eph-Gestosis

Abstract EN

Objective: To test the consistency between mother's self reported symptoms compared with medical diagnosis of EPH-GESTOSIS.

Hypothesis: Severe EPH-GESTOSIS is associated with increased mothers self reported symptoms.

Setting: Ante-natal clinic at Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital.

Participants: 200 primipara mothers aged 20-30 yrs, in the third trimester, attending the clinic for the first time, in the third trimester and medically diagnosed as EPH GESTOSIS.

Tools: Interviewing questionnaire was used.

Main symptoms were given particular attention's visual hallucinations, headache gastrointestinal symptoms &worsening edema.

The significance of these symptoms to the mothers was also assessed and medical vital conditions were recorded.

Finding: The symptoms of EPH-GESTOSIS were not considered worthy of comment by the mothers experiencing them.

The majority of respondents were consistent in reporting the presence of edema and headache with medically diagnosed EPH-GESTOSIS.

But edema was considered a normal phenomenon associated with pregnancy by 78% of the mothers.

The severity of the disease condition was positively correlated with the reported symptoms, as 28 cases among 32 mothers with severe EPH-GESTOSIS were consistent in reporting their complaints with medical diagnosis but low agreement with no statistically significant kappa index between mother's self reporting symptoms compared with medical diagnosis of mild and severe EPH GESTOSIS.

Recommendations: Further study to investigate mothers perception of health and ill health during pregnancy.

Educational program to raise mothers awareness of EPH-GESTOSIS, their silent symptoms, and consequences for mothers and baby.