26/11/2020
Good to know
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys. Preeclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had been normal. Even a slight rise in blood pressure may be a sign of preeclampsia.
Left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious — even fatal — complications for both you and your baby. If you have preeclampsia, the only cure is delivery of your baby.
If you're diagnosed with preeclampsia too early in your pregnancy to deliver your baby, you and your doctor face a challenging task. Your baby needs more time to mature, but you need to avoid putting yourself or your baby at risk of serious complications.
Preeclampsia sometimes develops without any symptoms. High blood pressure may develop slowly, or it may have a sudden onset. Monitoring your blood pressure is an important part of prenatal care because the first sign of preeclampsia is commonly a rise in blood pressure. Blood pressure that exceeds 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or greater — documented on two occasions, at least four hours apart — is abnormal.
Other signs and symptoms of preeclampsia may include:
Excess protein in your urine (proteinuria) or additional signs of kidney problems
●Severe headaches
●Changes in vision, including temporary loss of vision, blurred vision or light sensitivity
●Upper abdominal pain, usually under your ribs on the right side
●Nausea or vomiting
●Decreased urine output
□Decreased levels of platelets in your blood (thrombocytopenia)
●Impaired liver function
●Shortness of breath, caused by fluid in your lungs
Sudden weight gain and swelling (edema) — particularly in your face and hands — may occur with preeclampsia. But these also occur in many normal pregnancies, so they're not considered reliable signs of preeclampsia.
RISK FACTORS INCLUDE:
●History of preeclampsia. A personal or family history of preeclampsia significantly raises your risk of preeclampsia.
●Chronic hypertension. If you already have chronic hypertension, you have a higher risk of developing preeclampsia.
●First pregnancy. The risk of developing preeclampsia is highest during your first pregnancy.
●New paternity. Each pregnancy with a new partner increases the risk of preeclampsia more than does a second or third pregnancy with the same partner.
●Age. The risk of preeclampsia is higher for very young pregnant women as well as pregnant women older than 40.
●Obesity. The risk of preeclampsia is higher if you're obese.
●Multiple pregnancy. Preeclampsia is more common in women who are carrying twins, triplets or other multiples.
●Interval between pregnancies. Having babies less than two years or more than 10 years apart leads to a higher risk of preeclampsia.
●History of certain conditions. Having certain conditions before you become pregnant — such as chronic high blood pressure, migraines, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, a tendency to develop blood clots, or lupus — increases your risk of preeclampsia.
●In vitro fertilization. Your risk of preeclampsia is increased if your baby was conceived with in vitro fertilization.
CREDIT:MAYO CLINIC.
