Preeclampsia

Normal blood pressure levels are key to good health. When your blood pressure becomes too high, it is known as hypertension. This condition can pose serious health risks at any time.

During pregnancy, hypertension can cause added problems. In some cases, preeclampsia, a serious disorder that can affect your pregnancy and your health, may develop. Preeclampsia occurs when your blood pressure reaches levels of 140/90 or higher after your 20th week of pregnancy, there is extremity swelling, and protein spillage in the urine.

Signs of Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia can have serious side effects for you and your baby; therefore, it is important to be aware of its warning signs. If you have any of these symptoms, talk with your doctor right away.

• Headaches
• Vision problems
• Rapid weight gain
• Swelling of the hands and face.

Risk Factors

Doctors do not know why some women get preeclampsia. However, they do know that certain women are at higher risk. The risk of developing preeclampsia is increased in women who:

• Are pregnant for the first time
• Have had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy
• Have a history of chronic hypertension
• Are 35 years or older
• Are carrying more than one fetus
• Have certain medical conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease
• Are obese
• Are African American
• Have certain immune disorders, such as lupus, or blood diseases.

What You Can Do

If you know you have high blood pressure, there are steps you can take before and during your pregnancy to reduce the chance that preeclampsia will harm you or your baby. Before your pregnancy, you can:

• Work with your doctor to lower your blood pressure.
• Lose weight through diet and exercise, if needed.
• Take blood pressure medication as prescribed.
• Ask your doctor if your blood pressure medication is safe to use during pregnancy.

During your pregnancy, you can:

• See your doctor regularly, starting as soon as you can, so that changes in your blood pressure and weight can be found as soon as they occur.
• If you have kidney disease or any other risk factors, be sure to tell your doctor early in your pregnancy.
• If you develop any of the warning signs of preeclampsia, tell your doctor right away.
• Check your blood pressure and weight at home, if your doctor recommends it.

Treatment

If your blood pressure increases slightly during your pregnancy, bed rest at home or in the hospital may help to keep preeclampsia from developing. If preeclampsia does develop, the only real treatment is to have the baby because continuing the pregnancy can result in damage to your organs, including your kidneys, liver, brain, heart, and eyes.

The decision to deliver the baby depends on the risks to you and whether the risk to your baby is greater staying inside your uterus or in a special nursery. Your doctor will talk with you about the decision to deliver your baby and the best and safest way for the delivery to occur.