What Expecting Parents Need to Know About Preeclampsia

Pregnancy can be an incredibly joyful experience, but there are also times when expecting moms encounter certain issues related to being pregnant. One common affliction is preeclampsia, which is persistent high blood pressure.

Abbey Banter, night shift team lead at the Riverside Family Birthing Center, offers expert advice about this condition and why women need to be conscientious about managing it.

What Happens with Preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia usually occurs somewhere between 20 weeks of pregnancy and up to six weeks after delivery. It affects about five-to-eight percent of all pregnancies. Preeclampsia is a significant concern due to its potential risk for buildup of fluid in the lungs, seizures, and stroke.

“These symptoms are what makes preeclampsia one of the leading causes of maternal death in the United States. In addition to this, there are also some complications that would affect the baby as well,” states Banter. For example, pre-term birth, low birth weight, and placental abruption.

Symptoms and Risk Factors

Early symptoms of preeclampsia include blood pressure that’s consistently higher than 140 over 90; headaches that don’t go away with intervention measures such as acetaminophen, hydration, or resting; blurred vision or spots in one’s vision; swelling in the hands, feet, and face; sudden weight gain; out of the ordinary nausea or vomiting; right-side abdominal pain; shortness of breath; and simply feeling “unwell” in general.

“Some of these symptoms are things that may happen in pregnancy and are not related to preeclampsia, like the nausea, vomiting, swelling, and shortness of breath even. But, if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s always good to discuss them with your doctor,” encourages Banter. “Some more severe symptoms of preeclampsia may include chest pain, increasing shortness of breath with trouble breathing, and seizures. These symptoms need to be evaluated immediately at the hospital.”

Experts don’t have a definitive answer as to why preeclampsia develops. It does occur often in any woman who has a personal history of preeclampsia, as well as family or personal history of high blood pressure, kidney disease, or diabetes. Additional risk factors include being of African or indigenous descent, women over 40, pre-pregnancy obesity, autoimmune conditions like lupus, and also multiple fetuses (twins, triplets, etc.).

How Is Preeclampsia Addressed?

There are a number of tests to investigate if a woman is, indeed, experiencing preeclampsia. Physicians also want to monitor how the baby is doing. If a diagnosis is made, the goal is to first use medication to lower blood pressure and closely monitor the woman and baby. Sometimes that is ineffective, and the baby may need to be delivered early.

In some cases, a medication called magnesium sulfate is administered during labor and after delivery. “It’s kind of a continuous infusion. We keep you on that during labor and for about 24 hours after delivery,” notes Banter. “The goal of the magnesium is to relax your neurologic system to prevent seizures from happening. That’s one of the biggest, scariest things we would see with preeclampsia.”

Follow Up to Ensure Continued Good Health

It’s important to continue to monitor a woman’s blood pressure after delivery, for at least six to eight weeks. All women have a follow-up appointment with their physician after giving birth, but those who have had preeclampsia may need to go in to see their doctor sooner on that timeline.

“If you’ve had high blood pressure during the pregnancy or during your hospital stay, it’s very important to notify your physician if you’re having any more severe symptoms,” urges Banter.

Learn more about Women’s Health services at Riverside here.