Pre-eclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy that causes you to have high blood pressure and protein in your urine. It can make you unwell and can affect your baby’s growth and wellbeing.
***Key Points***
Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition that may develop any time after 20 weeks of pregnancy until a few days after the birth.
Some people may not experience any symptoms but commonly it is diagnosed by:
- High blood pressure,
- Protein in the urine,
- Sudden swelling in face, hands and feet
- Sometimes problems with vision such as blurred vision, seeing spots or flashes.
***Key Points***
***Pre-eclampsia***
Pre-eclampsia affects between 2-8 pregnancies in 100 pregnancies with varying degrees of seriousness.
It is often mild and normally has very little effect on pregnancy. However, it is important to know if you have the condition because, in a small number of cases, it can develop into a more serious illness.
Around one in 200 women (0.5%) develop severe pre-eclampsia during pregnancy. The symptoms tend to occur later on in pregnancy but can also occur for the first time only after birth.
It can escalate in severity quickly and can affect the circulation to the baby, impacting your baby’s growth. If it develops into something more serious it may affect other organs of the body such as the liver (called HELLP syndrome) or cause seizures in the mother (called eclampsia).***Pre-eclampsia***
If you have developed pre-eclampsia it may be treated using medication, to lower your blood pressure.
If your condition worsens they care team may suggest the baby be born as soon as possible. If you have pre-eclampsia there is a higher chance that your baby will be born prematurely.
***Pre-eclampsia – risk factors***
There are some risk factors for pre-eclampsia including:
- if it is your first pregnancy
- if there has been more than 10 years since you were pregnant
- if there is a family history
- if you are a teenager or in your 40s
- you have a high BMI
- or you are pregnant with twins or triplets
***Pre-eclampsia – risk factors***
***Pre-eclampsia – symptoms***
See your Midwife or doctor if you experience any of the following
- Severe headache that doesn’t go away with simple painkillers
- Problems with vision, such as blurring or flashing before the eyes
- Severe pain just below the ribs
- Rapidly increasing swelling of the face, hands or feet
- Feeling very unwell
Your Midwife or doctor will check your blood pressure and test your urine.
***Pre-eclampsia – symptoms***
***What happens in pregnancy?***
If you have pre-eclampsia it is considered a very high risk pregnancy, you and your baby will be very closely monitored throughout pregnancy, during birth and in the postnatal period.
There is a higher chance of requiring interventions such as induction of labour or caesarean section. The only way to rpevent serious complications is for your baby to be born. You are unique and the exact timing depends on your situation and how many weeks pregnant you are.
If your baby will be very premature they will administer a medication to help the lungs mature. You may have a longer stay in hospital after the baby is born.
***What happens in pregnancy?***
