Preeclampsia – Risk Factors And Prevention
Preeclampsia is characterized by high blood pressure level during pregnancy. About 5 percent pregnant women suffer from preeclampsia. This condition occurs during the second half of pregnancy. If left untreated, preeclampsia could lead to eclampsia, a critical health condition that can cause coma and death of the mother and the infant.
Symptoms of preeclampsia
Besides increase in the blood pressure level, the protein level in the urine rises in women with preeclampsia. Edema or swelling of hands and feet, rapid weight gain, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting are some common signs of preeclampsia. You might experience blurry vision or you might lose the peripheral vision.
Preeclampsia risk factors
Researchers have not yet identified the exact reasons for development of this condition during pregnancy. However, existence of certain factors could increase the risk of developing preeclampsia. Most cases of preeclampsia occur during the first pregnancy. If you had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy, you have a higher risk of developing preeclampsia in subsequent pregnancies. Preeclampsia might be genetic.
If you have a family history of preeclampsia, you could develop this condition. Women carrying twins or multiple fetuses could develop preeclampsia. The risk of developing preeclampsia is high among women with a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney diseases and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Being obese before conception increases the chance of preeclampsia during pregnancy.
How to prevent preeclampsia
Regular prenatal care could reduce the risk of complications of preeclampsia. If preeclampsia is detected at an early stage, through regular care and treatment development of eclampsia could be prevented. Some studies suggest that intake of vitamin D could reduce the risk of preeclampsia. Antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamins E and C, could prevent occurrence of this disorder during pregnancy.
Obesity is one of the leading causes of preeclampsia. If you are planning conception, it is advisable to lose weight before becoming pregnant. For diabetics, controlling the blood sugar level during pregnancy could minimize the risk of developing this health disorder. After delivering the baby, preeclampsia could heal naturally. After 37 weeks of pregnancy, if your baby is matured enough to be delivered, the doctor would advise you to deliver the child.
