Context: May 22 is commemorated as Pre-eclampsia Day to prioritize proactive measures for safe motherhood and childbirth, as preeclampsia significantly raises the risk of heart failure, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality for mothers.
About pre-eclampsia:
- It is a serious pregnancy complication that typically develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women with previously normal blood pressure. It can also develop shortly after childbirth.
- It is characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to other organ systems, most often the kidneys.
Symptoms:
- High blood pressure, protein in the urine (proteinuria), severe headache, nausea or vomiting, vision problems (including light sensitivity, blurred vision, or seeing spots), upper right abdominal pain and rapid weight gain,.
Causes:
- The exact cause is unknown.
Risk factors:
- History of high blood pressure, a family history of pre-eclampsia, multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets, etc.), diabetes, obesity, autoimmune diseases and in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Complications:
- If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications for both mother and baby. For the mother, complications can include eclampsia (seizures), stroke, bleeding problems, kidney failure, and heart attack. For the baby, complications can include premature birth, low birth weight, and growth problems.
Prevention
- The prevention is the use of low-dose aspirin.