CAN WE PREVENT PREECLAMPSIA?, Nathan Fox, MD (Digital)
Preeclampsia refers to a pregnancy-specific medical condition where the woman experiences high blood pressure, high levels of protein in the urine, and abnormalities in the placenta around or after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Typically, this condition resolves after delivery, however, some women have postpartum preeclampsia and continue to have symptoms for several days or weeks
HOW CAN PREECLAMPSIA AFFECT ME AND MY BABY?, Nathan Fox, MD (Digital)
A preeclampsia diagnosis for a pregnant woman may increase anxiety of the outcome and health of herself and her baby. Preeclampsia is a potentially life-threatening condition and doesn’t have significantly noticeable symptoms. However, if you visit your doctor regularly and receive proper screening and testing, preeclampsia can be diagnosed and monitored for a positive outcome. Still,
SEVERE PREECLAMPSIA SYMPTOMS, Andrei Rebarber, MD (Digital)
Pre-eclampsia with severe features include several symptoms and features that may correspond to those seen in uncomplicated pregnancies such as increasing leg and hands swelling and headaches. But the severity of these symptoms and the unremitting nature of the signs combined with other features described below should give some women a warning that a potential
TESTS TO PREDICT PREECLAMPSIA, Andrei Rebarber, MD (Digital)
Pre-eclampsia is a disorder that may develop anytime from the later part of the second trimester to the first several weeks postpartum. The ability to predict the disorder has limited current clinical benefit given that there is no known therapeutic intervention to alter its course or severity besides delivery. However, accurate prediction may help identify
THE RISK FACTORS OF PREECLAMPSIA, Andrei Rebarber, MD (Digital)
When discussing risk factors of pre-eclampsia, it is important to remember that the cause of pre-eclampsia is unknown as it appears to have multi-factorial processes affecting the final event. Many of the risk factors of this issue are epidemiologic risk factors, or health conditions, that generally cannot be altered. Some of the most classic risk factors of
HOW COMMON IS PREECLAMPSIA?, Andrei Rebarber, MD (Digital)
In the case of pre-eclampsia, diagnoses frequency varies around the globe. Worldwide, pre-eclampsia occurs in about 7.5% of pregnancies, but can be as low as 2% in some countries and up to 10% in others. In the United States, pre-eclampsia occurs in about 3.4% of pregnancies. It is speculated that there are a few factors
MAGNESIUM SULFATE FOR SEVERE PREECLAMPSIA, Nathan Fox, MD (Digital)
Severe Preeclampsia A woman who has preeclampsia has a serious condition during pregnancy. If the condition continues to get worse a woman could start experiencing seizures. Magnesium Sulfate is a medication, actually a mineral, given to women who are experiencing severe preeclampsia. In this country, we give magnesium intravenously (through a vein) to reduce the
PREECLAMPSIA RISK FACTORS, Nathan Fox, MD (Digital)
About 5% of women will get preeclampsia, and the majority of those will get it late in pregnancy in a mild form. However, there are women who are at an increased risk for preeclampsia. Women with multiple pregnancies like twins or triplets, women who are older, and women with a history of preeclampsia in the
HOW DOES PREECLAMPSIA DIRECTLY AFFECT THE FETUS?, Nathan Fox, MD (Digital)
What is Preeclampsia? Preeclampsia can be very harmful to a developing fetus. Preeclampsia can have a direct adverse impact on the fetal growth, development, and safety. Preeclampsia effects the fetus as follows: Impaired Circulation Impaired blood flow to the placenta can result in decreased blood to the fetus. Maternal blood carries vital nutrients and removes
