Pregnant earthquake victims should pay attention to their psychology
Gynecology and obstetrics specialist Dr. Ayşegül Yıldırım issued important warnings to pregnant women in earthquake zones. Kiss. Dr. Yıldırım discussed what should be considered in the care of earthquake victims and babies during this period. Mentioning that psychological health is just as important as physical health, Yıldırım said, “Health is not just the absence of physical disease, it is necessary to provide pregnant women with adequate psychological support. Both during pregnancy and postpartum, they must be psychologically supported for a long time and treated if necessary.
“Even after many years, the number of premature births will rise”
Kiss. Dr Ayşegül Yıldırım, noting that the effects of the earthquake will persist even after many years, said: “Unfortunately, we recently experienced one of the greatest disasters of the century, which deeply affected 10 provinces and all of us. The earthquake will have serious consequences for both our pregnant women and society, both in the acute phase and in the period after. We expect an increase in maternal and infant mortality due to the physical effects of the earthquake. Even many years after the disaster, the number of premature births will rise. Low birth weight and developmental delay are among the problems we expect to see in babies. Apart from this, pregnancies will be complicated due to the difficulty of accessing both safe, clean drinking water and healthy food. For this reason, some difficulties await us during pregnancy. Pregnancy follow-up of pregnant women with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension is disrupted. It is imperative to take measures against them,” he said.
“We will have to take measures in the field of both physical and mental health”
Yıldırım stated that precautions should be taken in terms of both the physical and mental health of pregnant women affected by earthquakes. If the pregnant women are not isolated because their immune system is already compromised, we will soon have serious problems in the field of both intestinal infections and lung infections. In this process, unplanned pregnancies will occur. In postpartum norms, both maternity care will be disrupted and breastfeeding problems will arise. We will have to take precautions in terms of both physical and mental health. We must provide isolated living environments, especially for pregnant women. These are the measures we need to take to make them feel healthier and protect them, especially against infectious diseases. Nutritional supplements are provided by us in one way or another, but it is very important to provide healthy, clean and hygienic drinking water, especially in terms of infection, and it is very important to provide appropriate nutritional support. Since there is a diet list that pregnant women should follow, there is the amount of calories they should take. If these calories are not taken in, low birth weight and developmental delays can occur. Or, if the pregnant woman has a complicated illness, such as diabetes, it can put the job in a trickier process. Therefore, proper nutrition and water conditions must be provided. In addition, every pregnant woman must continue her pregnancy follow-up as soon as possible in an appropriate hospital in the province where she was received. In particular, pregnant women with complicated illnesses should be given access to their medicines as soon as possible and follow-up should be resumed in departments where there are more high-risk pregnant women, such as teaching hospitals.
“Iron and vitamin D must be supplied”
Pointing out that especially iron and vitamin D should be administered to pregnant women, Yıldırım said: “As the risk of infectious diseases increases, especially in such catastrophic situations, the vaccines we recommend should be applied during pregnancy. Pregnant women should be protected from harmful chemicals that could be released from the debris. Since some chemicals can have some negative effects on pregnant women, such as premature birth and low birth weight, we can protect the pregnant woman by wearing masks in high-risk areas, especially in public living areas, to protect her from infections and toxins like so many possible. During this period there will be unplanned pregnancies. These should be detected immediately and the pregnant woman should be informed of the termination option. Adequate nutritional options will be provided, but some vitamin supplements have been recommended by the Department of Health, both during pregnancy and postpartum. Especially iron and vitamin D should be provided to pregnant women. Even if suitable nutritional conditions cannot be provided, this should be supported with multivitamin supplements. During the postpartum period, “postpartum education programs” should be organized and, in particular, breastfeeding should be practiced,” he said.