New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) With hypertension a major reason for the high maternal mortality rate in India, a federation of medical practitioners Friday launched a national registry to create awareness about the health condition among pregnant women, known as Eclampsia.The Indian College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ICOG), the academic outfit of the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), which has 25,000 gynaecologists as members, announced the formation of the National Eclampsia Registry in Mumbai Friday.

Eclampsia is the abnormal rise of blood pressure during pregnancy, which can lead to convulsions and may also result in the death of the expecting woman.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Gupte, the national co-ordinator for the registry, said: “Eclampsia is definitely preventable and for that we require to know its prevalence and standardization of treatment practises.”

“Through the registry, workshops will be conducted at periodic intervals for knowledge update of obstetricians and gynaecologists all over the country, along with public awareness programmes,” said Gupte, also the secretary ICOG.

The maternal mortality rate in India is more than 400 per 100,000 live births, with hypertension during pregnancy a contributory factor, Gupte said.

According to Narendra Malhotra, president of FOGSI, similar initiatives in Britain had helped manage Eclampsia-related complications and deaths.

The initiative is also aimed at understanding the prevalence of Eclampsia, he added.