The goal of treatment is to protect the life and health of the mother.
One complication of preeclampsia is a condition where the placenta detaches too early from the wall of the uterus (abruptio placentae). Eclampsia can be fatal without treatment. If preeclampsia isn't treated it may suddenly turn into eclampsia. These women are usually having their first baby or had high blood pressure or vascular disease before they became pregnant. Preeclampsia develops in about 5% of pregnant women. It is not known what causes these conditions. Pregnant women who have blood pressure of 150/110, marked swelling or water retention and high levels of albumin in their urine may also experience disturbances in their sight or have pain in the abdomen. In its milder forms, it may appear as borderline high blood pressure, swelling or water retention that doesn't respond to treatment or albumin in the urine. (This is the lowest level of blood pressure during the heart's pumping cycle.) Diastolic blood pressure that rises by 15 mm Hg or more even if it is less than 90.(This is the highest level of blood pressure during the heart's pumping cycle.) Systolic blood pressure that rises by 30 mm Hg or more even it if is less than 140.5, 2018.Signs of preeclampsia in a pregnant woman include: Understanding blood pressure readings.Management of hypertension in pregnant and postpartum women. Washington, D.C.: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Your risk of future cardiovascular disease is higher if you've had preeclampsia more than once or you've had a premature birth due to having high blood pressure during pregnancy. Having preeclampsia might increase your risk of future heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease. Sometimes an early delivery is needed to prevent potentially life-threatening complications when you have high blood pressure during pregnancy. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening. Poorly controlled hypertension can result in injury to your brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and other major organs. Hypertension might result in slowed or decreased growth of your baby (intrauterine growth restriction). Severe abruption can cause heavy bleeding, which can be life-threatening for you and your baby. Preeclampsia increases your risk of this condition in which the placenta separates from the inner wall of your uterus before delivery. Prematurity can lead to breathing problems, increased risk of infection and other complications for the baby. This can lead to slow growth (intrauterine growth restriction), low birth weight or premature birth. If the placenta doesn't get enough blood, your baby might receive less oxygen and fewer nutrients. High blood pressure during pregnancy poses various risks, including: Untreated preeclampsia can lead to serious - even fatal - complications for mother and baby, including development of seizures (eclampsia). Preeclampsia occurs when hypertension develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and is associated with signs of damage to other organ systems, including the kidneys, liver, blood or brain.
This condition occurs in women with chronic hypertension before pregnancy who develop worsening high blood pressure and protein in the urine or other blood pressure related complications during pregnancy.
Chronic hypertension is high blood pressure that was present before pregnancy or that occurs before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Some women with gestational hypertension eventually develop preeclampsia. There is no excess protein in the urine or other signs of organ damage. Women with gestational hypertension have high blood pressure that develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy. In other cases, high blood pressure develops during pregnancy. Sometimes high blood pressure is present before pregnancy.