Health & Pregnancy

Pre-eclampsia and Eclampsia: Causes and Treatments

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If your blood pressure stays dangerously high, if you develop seizures, or once your baby reaches a safe point in development, your health-care provider will deliver your baby. This does not necessarily mean that you will need a cesarean section. Many times your provider can give you medicines to start labor. In some special cases, you may need to have a cesarean section. If your health-care provider is convinced that your baby must be delivered before his or her lungs are fully matured, you may be given special medicines to speed lung development prior to delivery.

Because pre-eclampsia and eclampsia take several days to resolve after delivery, you will probably need to stay on blood pressure medications or magnesium sulfate for some time after your baby is born.

Prevention

Methods of preventing pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are somewhat controversial. Researchers are investigating whether taking an aspirin or more calcium each day would help decrease the risk of developing these disorders.

Call Your Doctor If:

• You notice sudden weight gain during pregnancy.
• You begin to experience swelling of the arms or face.
• You develop a severe headache.
• You notice changes in your vision.
• You have abdominal pain.
• You have vaginal bleeding.
• You feel dizzy or faint.
• You hear ringing in your ears.
• You have trouble with nausea or vomiting.
• You notice a decrease in your urine production.
• There is blood in your urine or vomit.
• You become confused.
• You develop seizures.