All you need to know about: preeclampsia Premium

Increase awareness about preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and potential complications.

Last week, on May 22, World Preeclampsia Day was observed, to increase awareness about preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication. This year’s theme, ‘Ask me about preeclampsia’, aimed at initiating open conversations and raising awareness about the condition. With that in mind, here is all you need to know about preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a serious condition that develops during pregnancy, usually after 20 weeks or so, often marked by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Because the condition can also affect other organs of the body including the kidneys, liver and brain, it requires careful monitoring and management. Untreated preeclampsia can have serious, even fatal consequences for the mother and baby. In some women, preeclampsia may develop after the delivery of the baby; this is known as postpartum preeclampsia.

The exact cause of preeclampsia remains unknown, but researchers believe it may have something to do with blood supply and circulation in the placenta being affected. The placenta is an organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy, connecting mother and baby via the umbilical cord. It provides oxygen and essential nutrients to the growing foetus and removes waste products.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), preeclampsia affects 2–8% of pregnancies worldwide. There are around 46,000 maternal deaths due to pre-eclampsia per year and around 5,00,000 foetal or newborn deaths. Preeclampsia and eclampsia (a complication of preeclampsia) are responsible for approximately 10% of maternal deaths in Asia and Africa, it says.

Risk factors for preeclampsia include being pregnant with more than one baby, pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or kidney disease, obesity, a history of preeclampsia in a past pregnancy or a family history of it, as well as a first time pregnancy, being 35 or older and a time gap of 10 years or more since a previous pregnancy.

For many, there are no signs and symptoms of preeclampsia, and it is often only diagnosed during a visit to a healthcare provider. In some cases, symptoms can include: high blood pressure, proteinuria (excess protein in the urine), severe headaches, changes in vision such as blurred vision, light sensitivity or flashing, upper abdominal pain (just below the ribs), nausea and vomiting and swelling of the face, hands and feet.

Preeclampsia is diagnosed, the WHO states, based on the onset of hypertension (blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg) and proteinuria (≥0.3 g/24 hours) after 20 weeks of gestation. However, recently, there has also been recognition of the condition without proteinuria. The Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI), in its 2019 good clinical practice recommendations, defines preeclampsia as a multisystem inflammatory disorder beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy with significant proteinuria characterized by de novo onset of hypertension (BP =/>140/90 mmHg). It adds however that an atypical variant of preeclampsia has been recognised which is accompanied by neurological, hematological, hepatic, renal manifestations or foetal growth restriction, in the absence of proteinuria.