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Progressive symptoms As pre-eclampsia develops, it can cause fluid retention oedema , which often causes sudden swelling of the feet, ankles, face and hands. As pre-eclampsia progresses, it may cause: severe headaches vision problems, such as blurring or seeing flashing lights dizziness pain in the upper abdomen just below the ribs shortness of breath nausea and vomiting excessive weight gain due to fluid retention less urine feeling generally unwell If you notice any symptoms of pre-eclampsia, seek medical advice immediately.
Without immediate treatment, pre-eclampsia may lead to a number of serious complications, including: eclampsia convulsions HELLP syndrome - a combined liver and blood-clotting disorder problems in the kidneys and brain stroke However, these complications are rare.
How pre-eclampsia affects your unborn baby Around 5 to 10 in pre-term deliveries in Australia are due to pre-eclampsia or its associated complications. Risk factors Some factors have been identified that could increase your chance of developing pre-eclampsia. The main risk factors are: You had pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy. There is an approximately a 1 in 5 chance that you will develop the condition again in later pregnancies.
You have an existing medical problem: for example, diabetes , kidney disease , migraines or high blood pressure. Other risk factors are: It is your first pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia is more likely to happen during the first pregnancy than during any subsequent pregnancies. It has been at least 10 years since your last pregnancy.
You have a family history of the condition. For example, your mother or sister has had pre-eclampsia. You are a teenager or are aged over You were obese at the start of your pregnancy you had a body mass index of 30 or more.
You are expecting multiple babies , such as twins or triplets this places more strain on the placenta. Treating pre-eclampsia Pre-eclampsia can be managed by lowering blood pressure and managing the other symptoms, sometimes with medication.
The only way to cure pre-eclampsia is to deliver the baby. Read more about how pre-eclampsia is treated. Back To Top. Toxaemia of pregnancy pre-eclampsia - MyDr. However, once you've had preeclampsia, you're more likely to develop it again in later pregnancies. The more severe the condition and the earlier it appears, the higher your risk.
Certain health conditions may also make it more likely you'll develop preeclampsia. These include:. If you're at risk for preeclampsia, your provider may schedule more frequent prenatal visits in your third trimester to monitor you closely.
You'll likely be asked to monitor your blood pressure at home, too. Your healthcare provider will check for high blood pressure and protein in your urine and may order more tests as well, such as:. If you're diagnosed with preeclampsia, you and your baby will be monitored closely for the rest of your pregnancy. If your blood pressure is extremely high, you'll be given medication immediately to lower it.
If it's not extremely high, you may or may not be given medication, depending on how close you are to delivering your baby. If you have preeclampsia with severe features, you'll also be given an IV medication called magnesium sulfate. This is to prevent eclampsia seizures. Magnesium sulfate can have unpleasant side effects in some women, including nausea, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, and thirst, but it's an important part of the treatment of preeclampsia to reduce your serious risk of seizures.
Some providers may recommend restricting your activities because your blood pressure will generally be lower when you're taking it easy. But complete bedrest , in which you're confined to bed for an extended period, raises your risk of blood clots and isn't recommended. If at any time your symptoms indicate that your condition is getting severe, or that your baby isn't thriving, you'll be admitted to the hospital and will probably need to deliver early.
It's not unusual for preeclampsia to become more severe during delivery, so you'll be monitored very closely throughout the birth. If you're diagnosed with severe preeclampsia, you'll have to spend the rest of your pregnancy in the hospital.
You may be transferred to a hospital where a high-risk pregnancy specialist can care for you. The only way to "treat" preeclampsia is by delivering your baby. Unless your condition or your baby's condition is so fragile that immediate delivery is needed, a c-section isn't required. You'll probably be induced if any of the following happen:. If you and your baby are doing fine, you're not yet at 37 weeks, and your preeclampsia isn't severe, you may remain in the hospital so you can be monitored.
Or you may be sent home, where you may have to monitor your blood pressure. You may be given corticosteroids to help your baby's lungs mature more quickly. Steroids are not given to women who are diabetic and over 34 weeks, however. After delivery, you'll remain under close medical supervision for a few days.
Most women, especially those with non-severe or "mild" preeclampsia, see their blood pressure start to go down in a day or so. In many cases, though, blood pressure can remain elevated for longer. Or it may go down right after delivery but start to go up again by 3 to 5 days postpartum. If either is the case for you, you'll be given blood pressure medication for a few weeks to months. You'll be asked to check your blood pressure at home and to make follow-up blood pressure appointments with your provider in the days and weeks following your delivery.
If you have severe preeclampsia, you'll probably be given magnesium sulfate intravenously for at least 24 hours after delivery to prevent seizures. You may also need to take blood pressure medication at home. If you develop preeclampsia during or after labor, you'll be monitored closely. Depending on your situation, you may be given magnesium sulfate to prevent seizures and medication to reduce your blood pressure. Sometimes cases of preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome develop after delivery, usually within the first 48 hours but as late as six weeks after delivery.
You'll likely have a follow-up blood pressure check within one week of discharge from the hospital, but if you start to experience any symptoms of preeclampsia or HELLP, such as a severe headache, a pain high up in your abdomen, or changes to your vision, contact your healthcare provider right away.
Call the Preeclampsia Foundation at or visit preeclampsia. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals.
We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. They will advise you what to do. Early signs of pre-eclampsia include having high blood pressure hypertension and protein in your urine proteinuria. It's unlikely that you'll notice these signs, but they should be picked up during your routine antenatal appointments. If you notice any symptoms of pre-eclampsia, seek medical advice immediately by calling your midwife, GP surgery or NHS Although many cases are mild, the condition can lead to serious complications for both mother and baby if it's not monitored and treated.
The earlier pre-eclampsia is diagnosed and monitored, the better the outlook for mother and baby. There are a number of things that can increase your chances of developing pre-eclampsia, such as:.
Other things that can slightly increase your chances of developing pre-eclampsia include:. If you're thought to be at a high risk of developing pre-eclampsia, you may be advised to take a 75 to mg daily dose of aspirin from the 12th week of pregnancy until your baby is born.
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