High Blood Pressure -
in Pregnancy
Pre-Eclampsia / Eclampsia

High blood pressure or hypertension in pregnancy is mostly caused by pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy disease that causes protein in the urine and swelling and high blood pressure. Once known as toxemia, it is considered life-threatening. The symptoms (listed below) are followed by loss of consciousness, convulsions and possibly coma.

A first diagnosis of pre-eclampsia is when the blood pressure rises. Confirmation of the disease is when protein is discovered in the urine.

Symptoms include:

•  Swelling of the hands and face after the 20th week of pregnancy
• Sudden weight gain, caused by fluid retention. – Weight gain of more than 2 pounds in a week or 6 pounds in a month is cause for concern.
• Often there are no outward signs of pre-eclampsia, only the presence of protein in the urine and high blood pressure.

The treatment and cure for pre-eclampsia / eclampsia is the birth of the baby. However since this is often diagnosed in the early second trimester, giving birth isn’t an option. Careful management and monitoring the remainder of the pregnancy is imperative. Normally bed rest is enough to keep it under control. Severe cases require long-term hospital stay.

If severe, the risk of the disease to the mother is compared to the likelihood of the baby surviving an early delivery. Tests can be preformed to determine the maturity of the baby’s lungs. If the baby is mature enough to survive outside the mother’s womb then labor is induced or a cesarean section is preformed to go ahead and deliver the baby.

If the disease progresses to eclampsia, then an emergency cesarean is done to save the life of the mother. Every measure is made to prevent harm to the baby, however if eclampsia is severe enough the mother could die. In this case the only route to save the mother and the baby is an emergency cesarean.

Magnesium sulfate is given to the mother to prevent seizures and convulsions. In milder cases, the mother can be allowed to carry her baby up to 40 weeks.

Blood pressure normally drops down to safe levels once the baby is born. If the blood pressure remains high, medication can be given to help bring it back down. Afterwards, regular monitoring by your physician is required.

There is a risk of high blood pressure in subsequent pregnancies. It depends on how severe the pre-eclampsia / eclampia was in the first pregnancy. In mild cases, the disease normally does not return.