What is pre-eclampsia?

Pre-eclampsia is a problem that may occur in pregnancy. It was sometimes called toxaemia. It can lead to health risks for you and your baby. No one knows what causes pre-eclampsia, but it almost always goes away soon after giving birth.

Signs and symptoms

A common sign of pre-eclampsia is high blood pressure. Other signs and symptoms include:

• oedema (swelling) of the face or hands
• rapid weight gain - 0.5kg (about one pound) or more in a day
• protein in urine
• headache
• right-sided abdominal pain
• vision problems (flashes or spots).

Tests you may have

Your doctor will want to check your blood pressure throughout your pregnancy. If your blood pressure is high, you may have the following tests:

• urine tests to look for protein
• blood tests to confirm pre-eclampsia
• fetal monitoring to ensure your baby is healthy.

Treating pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia almost always ends soon after giving birth. The only cure is delivery. If the baby cannot be delivered because he or she is still very premature you will need to be managed in hospital. This is because the condition can deteriorate very quickly. Hospital treatment includes:

• rest and blood pressure tablets to help control blood pressure
• induced labour or surgical delivery by caesarean section to help you have your baby more quickly
• rarely, if the condition has become very severe, drugs such as magnesium sulphate given through a drip may be needed to reduce the chance of fits (convulsions).

When to call for medical help

Call your lead maternity carer if swelling, weight gain or other symptoms like severe indigestion or pain under the ribs going into the back come on quickly or are severe. Some cases of pre-eclampsia are more severe than others. Your signs and symptoms may also change or worsen as you get closer to your due date.

Who is at risk?

Pre-eclampsia can occur in any pregnant woman. If you have had it before, you have a greater chance of it recurring. Also, if you already had high blood pressure before getting pregnant, your risk for pre-eclampsia is higher. Teenagers, women over 40 years old and women pregnant with two or more babies are also at greater risk.

Dangers of pre-eclampsia

If left untreated, pre-eclampsia can cause problems for you and your baby. The placenta (the organ that nourishes the fetus) may tear away from the wall of the uterus (womb). This can lead to fetal distress (in which the baby is at risk for health problems) or the baby may be born too early or too small. Pre-eclampsia can also cause you some health problems, such as:

• kidney failure or other organ damage including the liver
• seizures
• stroke
• bleeding or blood clotting problems.

Once you give birth

In most women, pre-eclampsia goes away on its own soon after giving birth. Within days, your blood pressure will start to decrease, but many women need to take blood pressure lowering tablets for some weeks after delivery. Other signs and symptoms of pre-eclampsia will also soon disappear.

© 2001 The StayWell Company, 1100 Grundy Lane, San Bruno, CA USA 94066-3030 www.staywell.com (0800) 333-3032. All rights reserved. Original material reviewed by the Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, National Women’s Hospital, Auckland.