Pre-eclampsia

A very severe pregnancy complication is known as preeclampsia which is dangerous for the mother and the fetus. Symptoms include:

  • High blood pressure

  • Excess protein in the urine

    • Proteinuria

  • Kidney problems

  • Very severe headaches

  • Vision changes

  • Upper abdominal pain

  • GI distress – nausea or vomiting

  • Decreased urine output

  • Thrombocytopenia – lowered platelet count

  • Diminished liver function

  • Shortness of breath

    • Fluid in the lungs.

  • Sudden weight gain and swelling

    • Edema in your face and hands.

This is a potentially fatal complication and women should seek medical attention right away. Causes include:

  • Insufficient blood flow to the uterus

  • Damage to blood vessels

  • Problem with immune system

  • Some genes.

A physician will rule out gestational hypertension, chronic hypertension and chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia before diagnosing preeclampsia confirmatively. Moreover, some risk factors include:

  • History of preeclampsia

  • First pregnancy

  • New paternity

  • Age – older than 40

  • Obesity

  • Multiple pregnancies

  • Interval between pregnancies – having babies less than 2 years or more than 10 years apart

  • History of:

    • Chronic high blood pressure

    • Migraine headaches

    • Type 1 Diabetes

    • Type 2 Diabetes

    • Kidney disease

    • Tendency to develop blood clots

    • Lupus.

The complications are:

  • Lack of blood flow to placenta – breathing problem in baby

  • Placental abruption – severe abruption, bleeding, life-threatening

  • HELLP syndrome

    • Hemolysis

    • Elevated liver enzymes

    • Low platelet count – thrombocytopenia

  • Eclampsia

    • Upper right abdominal pain

    • Severe headaches

    • Vision problems

    • Mental status changes

  • Cardiovascular disease

    • Eat fruits and vegetables.

Tests and diagnosis:

  • Check urine

  • Check CBC – platelets

  • Check liver enzymes

  • Check kidney status

  • Rule out pulmonary edema

  • Check for neurological symptoms.

Medication:

  • Lower blood pressure

  • Corticosteroids

  • Anticonvulsants

  • Bed rest

  • Hospitalization

  • Delivery – emergency C-section.

Prevention:

  • Low-dose aspirin

  • Calcium supplements

  • Educate.

Women who reside in Denver should visit the Denver Holistic Center for more information and to prevent any lethal complications.

 

pregnancy pre-enclampsia

Figure 1 – Some systemic side effects of preeclampsia.

pre-enclampsia support

Figure 2 – Statistics of preeclampsia awareness.