These pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorders can affect both birthing parent and baby, but with an early diagnosis, treatment can usually lead to healthy outcomes.
Slight increases in blood pressure are common during pregnancy, but if high blood pressure continues, you could experience potentially serious health consequences for you and your baby.
Preeclampsia and eclampsia are two high blood pressure (hypertensive) disorders that can cause noticeable symptoms, but both conditions are usually treatable.
An early diagnosis is important, so you’ll want to respond quickly to symptoms or a spike in blood pressure, even if it hasn’t caused any symptoms yet.
With proper care, a safe and healthy delivery is often possible with preeclampsia and eclampsia, though delivery is generally earlier — at or before 37 weeks gestation.
Within a few weeks after delivery, symptoms usually disappear and your blood pressure may return to normal.
Preeclampsia is a serious condition in which high blood pressure — at least 140/90 mm Hg — develops during pregnancy and is accompanied by other symptoms.
Preeclampsia may also develop with an increase of at least 30 mm Hg in systolic pressure (the top number on a blood pressure reading), even if that number doesn’t reach 140 mm Hg. An increase of at least 15 mm Hg in diastolic pressure (the bottom number) may also suggest preeclampsia, even if the diastolic pressure doesn’t reach 90 mm Hg.
Swelling in the legs, hands, face, or throughout the body is another sign of preeclampsia. The other common sign of preeclampsia is a high level of protein in your urine.
Preeclampsia usually develops after the 20th week of pregnancy, though it may occur after delivery. This is called postpartum preeclampsia. When it develops before the 34th week, it’s often referred to as early-onset preeclampsia.
Among the potential complications of preeclampsia are blood clotting problems and damage to the brain, liver, or kidneys. Risks to the baby include:
- preterm birth
- low birth weight
- placental abruption, which is the separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus
Preeclampsia affects about 1 out of every 25 pregnancies in the United States, according to the March of Dimes.
Eclampsia is usually a rare complication of preeclampsia that causes seizures during pregnancy. In rare cases, it can develop without hypertension.
A 2022 research report suggests that eclampsia occurs in about 1.6 to 10 out of 10,000 pregnancies in the United States. However, eclampsia affects far more pregnancies in developing nations, likely due to limited access to prenatal care and adequate healthcare.
Eclampsia shares the same risks to birthing parents and babies as preeclampsia but eclampsia also brings on seizures and, in many cases, shortness of breath.
Eclampsia with seizures is a medical emergency for both the pregnant person and their fetus, requiring immediate medical care.
Researchers don’t fully understand why some people with preeclampsia go on to develop eclampsia.
A 2019 study suggests that for some people with preeclampsia, the blood-brain barrier can become more permeable, allowing fluid to build up in and around the brain. This can lead to swelling and changes in blood flow within the brain that can then cause seizures and other symptoms of eclampsia.
While the exact cause of these conditions isn’t always clear, there are several factors that can raise your risk of preeclampsia and eclampsia.
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Other risk factors for preeclampsia include:
- autoimmune disorders
- cardiovascular conditions
- a family history of preeclampsia
- being older than age 35
- have a multiple pregnancy (carrying twins or more)
- untreated preeclampsia
You may also inherit genes that predispose you to develop preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia tends to occur more often in a first pregnancy. And if you had preeclampsia in your first pregnancy, you have a greater risk of developing it again in your next pregnancies.
A blood pressure check is the first screening for preeclampsia and eclampsia. High blood pressure by itself doesn’t indicate either condition, as there are other pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders, such as gestational hypertension.
With gestational hypertension, there is no excess protein in the urine, swelling, or other signs of preeclampsia or eclampsia.
Other tests include urine tests for protein levels and blood tests for markers of liver and kidney dysfunction. Blood and urine tests can also help rule out kidney disease or other potential conditions causing preeclampsia symptoms.
Postpartum preeclampsia may require an extended stay in the hospital after delivery or readmission if symptoms develop after discharge.
If postpartum preeclampsia is suspected, you’ll likely have blood tests done to check your liver and kidney function and a urine test (or tests) to measure the amount of protein in your urine.
If treatment is necessary, it usually consists of blood pressure medications and magnesium sulfate to help prevent seizures and the onset of eclampsia. Bed rest is also advised until blood pressure returns to your normal and any other complications have been managed or prevented.
With early and thorough treatment, as well as careful surveillance of the birthing parent and fetus, the outlook for people with preeclampsia is
Most cases of preeclampsia end with a healthy delivery and symptoms resolving within 6 weeks of delivery.
Eclampsia is a more serious condition and has about a
At what point does preeclampsia become eclampsia?
When seizures start to occur or if someone goes into a coma, preeclampsia has progressed into eclampsia. The key distinction is if brain health and function start to change.
What is the main cause of eclampsia?
The main cause of eclampsia is preeclampsia which hasn’t been treated effectively. However, even with treatment, preeclampsia can progress to eclampsia. The cause isn’t always clear.
What are the warning signs of eclampsia?
Warning signs of eclampsia include severe headaches, trouble breathing, vision problems, difficulty urinating, and severe abdominal pain.
If you have preeclampsia, it’s important to look out for signs of eclampsia. As a precaution, you may be given magnesium sulfate.
It’s also important to follow the advice of your healthcare team and report any changes or new symptoms immediately.