Preeclampsia is a condition that is unique to pregnancy. Other names for it include:
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension
- Toxemia of pregnancy
- Acute hypertensive disease of pregnancy.
Although toxemia has sometimes been used to describe preeclampsia, this term is not completely accurate.
Preeclampsia is most common during a woman's first pregnancy, although it can occur in future pregnancies as well. This dangerous condition occurs in 3 percent to 4 percent of all pregnancies and is the leading cause of maternal and fetal death in the United States. It is also a leading cause of fetal complications, including:
- Low birth weight
- Premature birth
- Stillbirth.
Eclampsia is a more severe form of preeclampsia that can lead to
seizures and coma. Estimates place the number of women affected by eclampsia at 1 in 200 women who have preeclampsia. Eclampsia can be fatal if it's not treated quickly.
While researchers do not know the specific cause or causes of preeclampsia, they do know that the result of preeclampsia is a narrowing of blood vessels.
Because of this narrowing, women with this condition can experience decreased blood flow to the:
- Liver
- Brain
- Retina
- Kidneys
- Placenta.
(Click Causes of Preeclampsia for more information.)
Risks Associated With Preeclampsia
While the cause of preeclampsia is unknown, doctors do know that certain factors will increase a woman's chances of developing the condition. These are known as preeclampsia risk factors. These risk factors include:
- Having chronic hypertension (high blood pressure) before becoming pregnant
- Being obese prior to pregnancy
- Having developed high blood pressure or preeclampsia during a previous pregnancy, especially if these conditions occurred early in the pregnancy
- Being pregnant under the age of 20 or over the age of 40
- Being pregnant with more than one baby
- Having diabetes, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus (SLE), or scleroderma.
Symptoms will vary, depending on the severity of the preeclampsia. They usually include:
- High blood pressure
- Swelling of the hands and face
- Abnormal weight gain
- Protein in the urine.
Other symptoms may include:
- Vision problems (including blurred vision, spots, or sensitivity to light)
- Abdominal pain
- Headaches.
These possible preeclampsia symptoms can be caused by other conditions, too. They can also occur in healthy pregnancies. For example, a woman's feet might swell with preeclampsia, but swollen feet are common during healthy pregnancies; swollen feet do not always mean there is a problem.
Regular visits with your doctor help him or her to:
- Track your blood pressure and level of protein in your urine
- Order and analyze blood tests that detect signs of preeclampsia
- Monitor fetal development more closely.
(Click Preeclampsia Symptoms for a closer look at possible symptoms.)
In order to make a diagnosis, the doctor will:
Tests for Preeclampsia
There is no single test to predict or diagnose preeclampsia; however, combined with symptoms, certain blood and urine tests can be helpful in diagnosing preeclampsia. These tests will determine how well the kidneys, liver, and placenta are functioning.
How Is Preeclampsia Treated?
The only definite cure for preeclampsia is delivering the fetus. But preeclampsia can occur early in pregnancy, which may mean that delivery is not the best treatment option. If so, your healthcare provider may develop a plan with you to try and safely prolong your pregnancy to allow the fetus to develop more, while closely monitoring you for signs that the fetus should be delivered -- even prematurely, if necessary. In this case, the decision of whether or not to deliver can be difficult; it requires that the mother be watched closely (often in the hospital) as a precaution.
Currently, there is no definite way to predict which pregnant women will develop preeclampsia and which ones will not. Recent findings from a research study found that abnormal levels of two molecules in the blood may predict the development of preeclampsia, but further research is needed.
In addition, researchers have found that women who were highly
insulin-resistant during the early months of pregnancy were more likely to develop preeclampsia later in pregnancy than were women who were not insulin-resistant. Further studies will look at ways of reducing insulin resistance in the early stages of pregnancy as one possible
preeclampsia prevention method.
In most women who develop preeclampsia during pregnancy, the cure is delivery of the baby. Within 1 to 2 days, symptoms generally fade. Infrequently, symptoms continue after the baby is delivered. This is known as postpartum preeclampsia.
