Pre-eclampsia is a complex disorder that affects less than 10 percent of pregnant women. You will be diagnosed with pre
eclampsia if you have high blood pressure and protein in your urine usually after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Pre eclampsia most commonly shows up after 37 weeks, but it can develop at any time during the second half of pregnancy,
including during labour or even after delivery usually within the first 48 hours. Pre eclampsia can range from mild to severe,
and it can progress slowly or rapidly. The only way to get better is to deliver the baby. The more severe the condition and
the earlier it appears, the greater the risks for you and your baby. Most women who get pre eclampsia develop a mild version
near their due date, and they and their babies do fine with proper care. But when pre eclampsia is severe, it can affect many
organs and cause serious or even life-threatening problems. That's why you'll need to deliver early if your condition is severe
or getting worse. Pre eclampsia causes the blood vessels to constrict, resulting in high blood pressure and a reduced blood
flow that can affect organs throughout the body, including the liver, kidneys, and brain. When less blood is being delivered
to your uterus, it can mean problems for your baby.
Symptoms
Pre
eclampsia can come on suddenly, so it's very important to be aware of the symptoms. Call your midwife or doctor right away
if you notice swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, more than slight swelling of your hands, or excessive or
sudden swelling of your feet or ankles. Be aware, though, that not all women with pre eclampsia have obvious swelling or dramatic
weight gain and equally not all women with swelling or rapid weight gain have pre eclampsia.
With more severe pre eclampsia,
you may experience other symptoms. Call your doctor immediately if you have any of these warning signs:
• Severe or persistent headache
• Vision changes, including double vision, blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, sensitivity to light,
or temporary loss of vision
• Intense pain or tenderness in your upper abdomen
• Nausea and vomiting
Symptoms can vary from woman to woman, and pre eclampsia can occur without any obvious symptoms, particularly in the early
stages.
Testing for Pre-eclampsia
Your nurse or doctor will check
your blood pressure and urine. If your blood pressure is elevated and you have protein in your urine, you will more than likely
be diagnosed with pre eclampsia.
Causes
Much of the condition
still remains a mystery but experts believe that many cases of pre eclampsia actually begin early in pregnancy, well before
any symptoms become evident, and that they are related to reduced blood flow to the placenta. This could happen if the placenta
fails to implant properly in the lining of your uterus and the arteries in that area don't dilate as they should, so less
blood gets to the placenta. Conditions such as chronic hypertension and diabetes can also cause reduced blood flow to the
placenta.
Other risk factors include:
• Having certain blood clotting disorders, diabetes, kidney disease, or an autoimmune disease like lupus
• Having a close relative who had pre eclampsia
• Being obese
• Carrying two or more babies
• Being younger than 20 or older than 40
It is more common to get pre eclampsia for the first time during a first pregnancy. However, once you've had pre eclampsia,
you're more likely to develop it again in later pregnancies.
Treatment
The
treatment that you will receive will depend on how many weeks pregnant you are, how you and the baby are coping and how severe
the condition is. This is a decision that will be made by your consultant and may range from bed rest to treatment with drugs,
particularly diazepam and phenytoin, and more recently magnesium sulphate, to hospitalisation and emergency C section.
For further information ask your midwife or try
