Thanks to shows like Downton Abbey and Grey’s Anatomy, serious prenatal complications like preeclampsia are finally getting the attention they deserve.
Preeclampsia is a serious medical condition in about 5-8% of pregnancies that’s characterized by high blood pressure, protein in your urine and swelling. In its more severe state, damage to other organ systems such as your kidneys. Typically it begins after 20 weeks in women with normal blood pressure.
Preeclampsia requires early detection and close monitoring because left untreated, it can be life-threatening to mom and/or baby. No mom wants to knowingly put herself and/or her baby at risk so the key is to take precautions to lower your risk for developing preeclampsia.
If you have a history of kidney disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, you are at increased risk of developing preeclampsia. Therefore, it’s important to speak with a perinatologist before you conceive to identify how to lower your risk by managing your health conditions before pregnancy.
The truth about preeclampsia every woman needs to know but that no one is talking about
No one knows exactly what causes preeclampsia.
Some experts believe it begins due to problems with the development of the placenta. Others believe there’s a genetic component. Still others believe it’s a blood volume issue that kicks off the condition.