Pre Eclampsia in Pregnancy

This potentially life threatening condition varies in its degree of severity from nothing to worry about to serious concerns about the both the mothers and babies health.

Pre eclampsia is known also as toxemia, eclampsia or pregnancy induced hypertension, PIH its all the same thing!

Symptoms

The main symptoms to look out for are:-

• Headaches

• Blurred vision

• Swelling in hands and face (known as edema)

• Sudden weight gain

• High blood pressure

• Nausea and vomiting

• Agitation

• Protein in urine (if you can test for this)

Not all of the above symptoms have to be present to be Pre - Eclampsia, Cathy started with nausea and vomiting and high blood pressure, minor swelling but did not have any of the others.

The cause of Pre Eclampsia is unknown however various theories exist as to what the causes may be however the following are considered potential areas of concern, Neurological factors, Genetic, Diet, Vascular (blood vessels). Research done in the USA possibly indicates a liver malfunction caused by malnutrition may lead to eclampsia, however I am also aware of some doctors working on climate and altitude may also contribute to this condition. It just re-enforces how little of the cause of this condition is known.

Cathy was taken into Hospital at 28 weeks gestation with pre eclampsia after being referred by her local GP who found she had very high blood pressure. Her blood pressure was at 180 / 110. On admission to the hospital she was prepared for immediate delivery but her slowly her blood pressure came down to 100 of its own accord. This drop was sufficient to delay the delivery of the baby.

She was given steroids to help the babies lungs develop in the event the baby was born early, one of the problems with premature babies is that the lungs can be under developed. It goes without saying the longer generally the baby has in the womb the better chance of survival it has. Therefore the hospital took the view to hold on until it was absolutely necessary therefore giving Oliver the best chance possible.

Depending on the severity of Pre Eclampsia growth retardation can occur due to a reduced blood flow through the placenta, this was the case with Oliver. A special scan (Doppler scan) taken after Cathy had been in the hospital for 10 days was able to determine Oliver was underweight and the blood flow was marginal. We were told that if the condition became any worse then Oliver would have to be delivered, the scan had shown this was likely to only a few days at best.

The scan was taken on the Friday, the following Monday whilst the Oliver's heart rate was being monitored it dropped extremely low. On the Tuesday Oliver was born small but otherwise healthy weighing 2kg.

We believe had he been in the womb for much longer he would have die through lack of nutrition. Pre Eclampsia is a very real danger to pregnant woman. Anyone who think they have the condition should seek expert advice immediately.

For more information

Check out the Internet Resources on links to Pre Eclampsia links related information

In the UK further information can be obtained on Pre Eclampsia from the

To talk about your experiences call the Helpline.

Action on Pre-eclampsia (APEC) is a national registered charity which aims to raise awareness about pre-eclampsia among parents and health professionals, support sufferers, and promote relevant research. It offers the following services to the public:

Full information pack •access to advice from leading specialists •national telephone Helpline •befriending service •Conferences and workshops •Membership services including thrice-yearly Newsletter detailing latest research.

For information write with SAE and 36p stamp to the address above.

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Updated November 10, 2002 12:35