Hansard

I thank Patricia Gibson for bringing this important debate to the chamber and for raising awareness of pre-eclampsia. I also thank her for her powerful testimony, and I thank members across the chamber for their testimony.

Listening to those accounts and the issues that have been raised today takes me back to the birth of my own little boy three years ago. I am reminded of what an incredible time it was for me and my wife as we welcomed our first child into the world. I also remember how vulnerable my wife was in those final stages of pregnancy. Alongside all the practical questions that soon-to-be parents have to consider—some of which are lovely, such as deciding what colour to paint the new arrival’s bedroom and what name to choose, among all the excitement that comes with preparing for a new baby—there are also important health considerations that require a lot of thought and planning. During pregnancy, parents are often given a huge amount of information to take in, and it can be difficult to know what to look out for and what to prioritise.

I am conscious that I am speaking in today’s debate as someone who will never experience pregnancy personally, but I remember very well how important it was for me to have the right information and understanding so that I could speak up for my wife when she was not in a position to do so herself, particularly in those final stages of pregnancy and during labour.

As we have heard this afternoon and as set out in the motion, 76,000 mothers and 500 babies worldwide lose their lives due to pre-eclampsia and related conditions every single year. What I found to be most striking is that 60 per cent of those maternal deaths could be prevented. We know that signs of pre-eclampsia, as we have heard today, can be easily missed. Symptoms such as swelling of the face, hands and feet, or pain below the ribs, can easily be mistaken for routine parts of pregnancy.

The theme of this year’s world pre-eclampsia day—know her symptoms—feels very apt. We need to equip expectant mothers, as well as their partners and loved ones who are supporting them, with the right information so that they can ask the right questions, raise concerns and advocate for themselves at all stages of pregnancy and afterwards.

That responsibility does not end at birth. As we have heard, the years afterwards are just as important in protecting mothers’ long-term health. We need to ensure that women receive long-term monitoring following pre-eclampsia in pregnancy to guard against those long-term risks. I was shocked to hear that, following her experiences, Patricia Gibson was not even made aware of those long-term risks. We need to look at that issue.

Far too often, women are not taken seriously when they raise medical concerns. Unfortunately, that is often the case during pregnancy and more generally, and that needs to be tackled.

I am pleased that, as part of the women’s health plan, the Scottish Government is committed to greater support for women who have experienced pre-eclampsia, but we need to ensure that those commitments are carried out. I agree with Patricia Gibson that we need to make publicly available the data on women who are impacted. That is vital and is a key issue that should come out of the debate. Raising awareness will save lives, as will ensuring that women are listened to.