Preeclampsia is an uncommon pregnancy condition affecting approximately 8 percent of pregnancies worldwide and is marked by high blood pressure and protein in urine.
Finding out what is normal versus an indication of trouble during pregnancy can be confusing and time consuming, which is why attending your prenatal appointments and discussing any symptoms you may be experiencing is so essential. Early diagnosis and management are keys to helping avoid serious problems with the baby later.
Symptoms
Preeclampsia is an uncommon pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and proteinuria after week 20 of gestation, often as an indicator that the placenta is not functioning normally; this condition affects 5-8% of pregnancies.
Some women with preeclampsia do not experience symptoms, while others may notice swelling of their hands, feet or face (edema), headaches or nausea and vomiting; women suffering from severe preeclampsia can even have seizures (eclampsia).
Preeclampsia’s exact cause remains unknown, although many researchers speculate that it’s related to changes in how your blood vessels expand and contract during gestation to carry nutrients to your fetus. As these changes interfere with kidney blood flow, more protein could leak out into urine than intended.
Preeclampsia symptoms are sometimes underestimated as they mimic those associated with normal pregnancy, making regular antenatal visits and blood pressure checks essential. To ensure an early detection and intervention strategy.
Preeclampsia can lead to serious health issues for both you and your baby, including liver and kidney damage as well as increased risks for postpartum hemorrhages after delivery. Your healthcare provider should closely monitor you if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or lupus as any risk factors for preeclampsia may develop.
Causes
Preeclampsia’s exact cause remains unknown, though it appears to involve issues with the placenta, an organ that connects a mother’s blood supply to that of her unborn baby’s. Food and oxygen pass through it directly into her womb while waste products return directly back into motherhood via waste products moving back up. A healthy placenta requires ample and constant blood supplies in order to function correctly.
Early in pregnancy, blood vessels that feed the placenta may form narrower than usual and respond differently to hormone signals than usual, limiting how much blood can flow through. This may mean the placenta does not receive all its required supplies – in addition, problems can arise from how the body produces blood clots.
In some instances, preeclampsia can progress into life-threatening eclampsia for both mother and baby, with symptoms including severe headaches, vision problems and mental confusion – potentially leading to seizures or coma as well as damage to kidneys, liver and brain cells.
Preeclampsia patients typically can have successful deliveries if they receive quality prenatal care, including attending all regularly scheduled appointments even when feeling fine; and calling their provider immediately if any signs or symptoms appear so that problems can be identified and treated early on.
Treatment
Preeclampsia increases a woman’s risk of having a low birth weight baby and must be closely monitored by healthcare providers. Healthcare providers must identify and treat health complications associated with preeclampsia such as high blood pressure or higher than usual levels of proteinuria in her urine (proteinuria).
Preeclampsia’s exact cause remains elusive; however, experts speculate it could be caused by issues with the placenta that inhibit it from receiving enough blood and nutrients, leading to signs and symptoms such as altered vision, severe headaches and nausea; this in turn may result in lower birthweight as the fetus may not receive sufficient oxygen and nutrition during gestation.
Preeclampsia is typically diagnosed during routine prenatal visits by healthcare providers who assess your weight gain, blood pressure and order blood work to check kidney and liver functions as well as request 24-hour urine records to monitor protein content in your urine. Severe preeclampsia may result in the HELLP Syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count) causing serious complications for both mother and baby.
Preeclampsia treatment includes rest and medication to regulate your blood pressure and avoid seizures, with inducing labor or amniotic rupture as additional options if the condition becomes severe.
Prevention
Although its exact cause remains unknown, experts believe preeclampsia to be caused by improper functioning of the placenta. During normal gestation, new blood vessels develop to provide oxygen and nutrients to the placenta efficiently; but with preeclampsia narrower blood vessels don’t respond appropriately to hormonal signals, meaning less blood reaches it’s intended destination resulting in low birth weight as well as other complications.
Preeclampsia risk depends on both mother and pregnancy; it may appear as early as 20 weeks gestation or, more typically, during the second half. Furthermore, postpartum preeclampsia (PPPre) may develop after delivery as well.
Women who have previously experienced preeclampsia have an increased chance of it occurring again during future pregnancies; the exact reason remains unknown. Women with prior high blood pressure prior to becoming pregnant also increase their risk for it in future pregnancies; additionally women of color and those from lower income families are at an even higher risk due to differences in accessing healthcare or social factors that influence health.
Preeclampsia treatment depends on several factors: duration and severity. If both you and the fetus are at risk, healthcare team may suggest early delivery – usually via C-section – but this may reduce complications like low birth weight or breathing issues for your baby.
