Pre-eclampsia (pre-eclampsia) in pregnancy is a dangerous condition that threatens both the mother and the baby. The consequence of pre-eclampsia can be eclampsia, which can even lead to the death of the pregnant woman and the child. What are the causes and symptoms of pre-eclampsia? What is the treatment?

Pre-eclampsia(pre-eclampsia) is a medical condition that occurs in a pregnant woman, usually after the 20th week of pregnancy or during the first two days of puerperium, and cannot be explained by any other cause than pregnancy.

Preeclampsia (preeclampsia) - causes and risk factors

The causes of pre-eclampsia are not fully known.

The risk factors for developing pre-eclampsia are:

  • going through pre-eclampsia
  • chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease,
  • autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus or antiphospholipid syndrome
  • first pregnancy
  • age - under 18 or over 35
  • interval from last pregnancy>10 years
  • twin pregnancy, triplet pregnancy etc.
  • inflammatory conditions such as urinary tract infections
  • nutritional deficiencies, especially calcium and vitamins C and E

Preeclampsia - symptoms

  • hypertension (over 140/90 mmHg)
  • proteinuria ≥ 300 mg / day
  • swelling of limbs and face

CHECK>>Edema in pregnancy - where do they come from and how to deal with them

If not treated properly, pre-eclampsia worsens with symptoms such as:

  • oliguria - the daily amount of urine produced<500 ml
  • disorders of the central nervous system or eyesight: headaches and dizziness, visual disturbances, disturbance of consciousness
  • stomach ache
  • shortness of breath

in extreme cases eclampsia occurs.

Important

If a seizure occurs in the course of preeclampsia (unrelated to another cause, e.g. epilepsy or bleeding into the central nervous system), it iseclampsia(eclampsia).

Pre-eclampsia(preeclampsia) - treatment

If preeclampsia is mild, blood pressure reduction is achieved through stress reduction and a relaxed lifestyle. Your doctor may also prescribe the appropriate medications. When the due date is approaching, it is called.

If the course of pre-eclampsia is severe, hospitalization is required. If the mother's life is at stake and the baby is developed enough to survive outside the womb, the doctor may decide to terminate the pregnancy early by caesarean section. Termination of pregnancy is recommended when:

  • a pregnant woman develops headaches and visual disturbances, which indicate a disturbance of the nervous system
  • pregnant woman struggles with kidney disease caused by pre-eclampsia
  • detachment of the placenta is suspected
  • intrauterine growth restriction and oligohydramnios are suspected.
Important

Pre-eclampsia can lead to the death of mother and child

Maternal pre-eclampsia can lead to multi-organ failure - mainly of the kidneys, liver and brain, bleeding into the central nervous system and retina, hypertensive encephalopathy, preterm labor.

In turn, it can lead to premature separation of the placenta in a child. Arterial hypertension may cause disorders of blood flow through the placenta, and thus - improper oxygenation and nutrition of the fetus, which may cause intrauterine growth restriction, and even fetal hypoxia, leading to death in the womb.

Category:

Pregnancy