An autopsy report of Evaline Namukhula, showed that the woman gave birth to five babies in Kakamega County, died of pregnancy complications.
According to Dr. Benson Macharia, a pathologist at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, she succumbed to weakness of the heart muscles.
The condition is known as peripartum cardiomyopathy that commonly occurs right after delivery according to a study.
This alongside other pregnancy related complication, sometimes fatal, are often unknown to expectant women.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Severe bleeding, Unsafe abortion, Obstructed labor and Obstetric fistula are the most prevalent pregnancy complications.
Severe bleeding in pregnancy results from failure of the uterus to contract, genital tract trauma, rupture of the uterus, retained placental tissue, or maternal bleeding disorders. While there is no dearth to the medical management of PPH, there will be cases of severe bleeding that will ultimately require surgical management with considerable success rate.
An obstructed labor on the other hand occurs when the passage of the fetus through the pelvis is impeded. Among the most common causes are: a large fetal head passing through a small pelvis, wrong position of the fetus while going through the birth canal, and fetal defects.
Obstructed labor is a major cause of maternal mortality, accounting for 1–5 deaths/1000 live births.
It is more common in developing countries due to lack of adequate health care delivery facilities, poor nutrition resulting in small pelves, poverty, and socioeconomic and cultural factors that are against traditional antenatal care and delivery.
Obstructed labor causes significant morbidity and mortality both in the short-term and in the long-term. Fetal death is common. Obstructed labor requires emergency cesarean section, otherwise, the mother risks losing the baby and developing an obstetric fistula.
Obstetric fistula is an abnormal opening between the vagina and urinary bladder or rectal wall. In the developing world, the true incidence of obstetric fistulas is unknown, as many patients suffer in silence and isolation. The WHO estimates that 50,000 to 100,000 women develop obstetric fistulas each year and that over two million women currently live with this disorder.
Obstetric fistulas can be treated with surgical reconstruction with a 90% success rate for uncomplicated cases and 60% success rate for complicated cases.
The challenges involved in obstetric fistulas include the high volume of cases, access to facilities, and the cost of treatment. UNFPA estimates that the total cost for the procedure including post-operative care and rehabilitation support is USD 300. Another important challenge is informing women that treatment is available. Most women who develop fistulas isolate themselves from society for shame and embarrassment of their condition.