Because one of the primary symptoms of preeclampsia is high blood pressure, this in turn makes the pregnant woman at an increased risk of stroke or altered kidney and/or liver function, blood clotting abnormalities, seizures and pulmonary edema as a result of excessive fluid build up in severe cases. In serious cases of preeclampsia which may be subject to delayed or inappropriate treatment, both the mother and the unborn child are at risk of death.

Preeclampsia directly affects the blood supply to the fetus, therefore the condition often produces low birth weight, or in many cases premature babies due to a need to deliver the baby early, to avoid further complications. The problems associated with premature birth are well documented, therefore early treatment of preeclampsia is favorable in an attempt to reduce symptoms and risks, and allow the pregnancy to continue for as long as is possible, without putting the mother or her unborn child at risk.

When hospitalization is necessary due to the onset of preeclampsia, a woman will normally be advised to maintain bed-rest. Frequent fetal monitoring will be conducted to ensure the baby is progressing well and in no apparent distress. The pregnant woman will be required to provide a urine sample daily, to test for protein, and blood pressure is checked 4-6 hourly in the ‘stable’ patient. All of these tests are repeated more frequently if it appears that the preeclampsia is escalating.

It is a misconception that preeclampsia always resolves immediately that the baby and placenta have been delivered. A woman can remain at very high risk up to 48 hours after delivery, therefore monitoring is essential in the post-natal period. Preeclampsia can occur up to 2 weeks after the delivery. In some cases the preeclampsia can become significantly worse in the immediate post-natal phase, in such cases women require ‘high dependency’ post natal care.

Michael Morales

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