What are preeclampsia and eclampsia?

Preeclampsia is a syndrome marked by a sudden increase in the blood pressure of a pregnant woman after the 20th week of pregnancy. It can affect the mother’s kidney, liver, and brain. If left untreated, the condition can be fatal for the mother and/or the baby and can lead to long-term health problems.

Eclampsia is a more severe form of preeclampsia that can cause seizures and coma in the mother.

What are the symptoms of preeclampsia?

Possible signs of preeclampsia include:

• High blood pressure
• Too much protein in the urine
• Swelling in a woman’s face and hands (a woman’s feet might swell too, but swollen feet are common during pregnancy and may not signal a problem)
• Systemic problems, such as headache, blurred vision, and abdominal pain

What is the treatment for preeclampsia?

The only cure for preeclampsia is delivering the fetus.

If preeclampsia develops, the health care provider may develop a plan to try to prolong the pregnancy to give the fetus more time to grow and mature. At the same time, the health care provider will closely watch the health of the mother for signs that the fetus needs to be delivered right away, even prematurely, if necessary. If the preeclampsia is severe enough and the fetus is not delivered, the mother could die. Health care providers will take steps to prevent the condition from being fatal for mother and baby.

If you have questions about preeclampsia and delivery, talk to your health care provider.

What are the risk factors for preeclampsia?

There is no proven way to prevent preeclampsia. But some women are more likely to develop it, including:

• Women who have high blood pressure before becoming pregnant
• Women who had high blood pressure or preeclampsia in previous pregnancies
• Women who are obese
• Women younger than age 20 or older than age 40
• Women who are pregnant with more than one baby
• Women with certain health conditions, such as diabetes or kidney disease