Mothers
How Can Preeclampsia Affect Mother and Baby?
Aug 28 • 8 min read
Table of Content
Early Signs of Preeclampsia in Pregnancy
Effects of Preeclampsia on the Baby
Mild vs Severe Preeclampsia: A Quick Comparison
Myth vs Fact
Why Monitoring Matters
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific condition involving high blood pressure combined with signs of damage to organs such as the liver or kidneys, typically appearing after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, Roughly 10 million women develop preeclampsia each year worldwide, and about 76,000 pregnant women die annually from preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders.
If it is not watched closely, it can put a lot of stress on the mother's liver, kidneys, and brain. It can also slow the baby's growth by limiting the blood flow through the placenta. Finding it early through doctor visits can make a big difference in how things turn out.
A diagnosis of preeclampsia in pregnancy can bring many questions for families who are expecting a baby. Understanding how the condition affects the mother and baby can help you understand why regular monitoring is important.
"Preeclampsia is manageable in cases when it is caught early," says Dr. Shrestha, an obstetrician who works with expecting mothers who have high-risk pregnancies. "The important thing is regular checking, not fear."
According to ACOG, Preeclampsia complicates 2–8% of pregnancies globally.
What to know
Preeclampsia usually happens after the week of pregnancy.
It can start with some signs like high blood pressure, swelling, and headaches.
When a woman has preeclampsia, it can be hard on her kidneys or liver. Sometimes it can even cause seizures.
Preeclampsia can affect the baby too. It often means the baby does not grow as fast as it should and the baby's birth weight is lower.
If Preeclampsia is very bad, the doctors might decide to deliver the baby to keep both the mother and the baby safe.
Doctors check the blood pressure and the baby regularly to find any problems before they get worse.
There are some tools that people can use at home to check their blood pressure and the baby. These tools do not replace the care of a doctor; they just support it.
Early Signs of Preeclampsia in Pregnancy
Preeclampsia doesn't always make itself known. Some signs can be hard to notice unless you are looking for them:
Blood pressure readings that are higher than 140/90 mmHg
Sudden swelling in the face, hands,or feet
Headaches that don't go away even after resting
Blurred vision or seeing floating spots
Pain in the area under the ribs; protein in the urine, which is found during a regular test
That is why blood pressure is checked at almost every prenatal appointment. It is the way to find preeclampsia before it gets worse.
Preeclampsia is a condition that happens during pregnancy. It includes high blood pressure and signs that the organs are not working properly. It usually shows up after 20 weeks.
If you want to learn more about the warning signs and symptoms, read our guide to early signs of preeclampsia in pregnancy
Effects of Preeclampsia on the Mother
Preeclampsia is a condition that can hurt many parts of the body if it is not taken care of. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists lists what can go wrong with preeclampsia: the kidneys or liver can stop working, people can get HELP syndrome,e which is a problem with the liver and blood, or they can have eclampsia, which means they have seizures. In bad cases, preeclampsia can even cause a stroke.
Most of the time, preeclampsia does not get that bad. Doctors usually catch it. Treat it before it gets out of hand. With watch and the right treatment,preeclampsia can be managed and things can be okay.
According to Preeclampsia Foundation, Preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders affect 5–8% of all births in the United States, with incidence in the US, Canada, and Western Europe generally ranging 2–5%; in developing countries, severe forms can range as high as 18% of deliveries in parts of Africa.
Effects of Preeclampsia on the Baby
For the baby, the main issue is blood flow. When the placenta does not get blood, the baby gets less oxygen and fewer nutrients from the mother. This can cause the baby to experience fetal growth restriction, have a low birth weight, or even be born too early if the doctor needs to deliver the baby quickly.In some bad cases,the placenta can separate from the uterus, which is called placental abruption.
Once the doctors find out that a woman has preeclampsia, they usually do ultrasounds and check the baby's growth more often to make sure everything is okay, with the baby and the preeclampsia.
Mild vs Severe Preeclampsia: A Quick Comparison
Aspect | Mild preeclampsia | Severe preeclampsia |
Blood pressure | Slightly elevated | Very high (160/110+) |
Symptoms | Mild swelling, few symptoms | Headaches, vision changes, abdominal pain |
Baby's growth | Usually normal | Risk of growth restriction |
Management | Close monitoring | May need hospitalization or early delivery |
Myth vs Fact
It only happens to first-time mothers. Not true. It can occur in any pregnancy, though first-time mothers do have a slightly higher risk.
If you feel fine, you don't have it. Also not true. Protein in the urine and other early signs often aren't felt at all.
It always means an early C-section. Not necessarily. Many mild cases are managed with monitoring and medication until closer to term.
Swelling always means preeclampsia. Mild swelling is normal in pregnancy. It's the combination with high blood pressure that matters.
It resolves the moment the baby is born. Symptoms can actually persist for days or weeks postpartum and still need to be watched.
Dr. Shrestha says that most of the women with preeclampsia that he sees will have babies. What makes a difference is if doctors find the warning signs of preeclampsia early and then keep an eye on blood pressure and the baby's growth.
The World Health Organization and the National Health Service both think that checking blood pressure regularly during pregnancy is very important especially when the woman is in her trimester. This is one of the ways to find any problems with preeclampsia early on. Dr. Shrestha and other doctors like him follow these guidelines to help women with preeclampsia have deliveries.
Why Monitoring Matters
For families who are going through a high-risk pregnancy it is really helpful to keep an eye on blood pressure and the baby's health between doctors visits. This gives them peace of mind. Janitris tools help doctors and families get this information so they can talk to the doctor sooner. These tools are meant to help with doctor visits and not take their place.For pregnancies that need closer fetal surveillance, your healthcare provider may recommend an NST test in pregnancy or other fetal monitoring to assess your baby's well-being.
Home blood pressure monitoring during pregnancy can help you keep track of your blood pressure between prenatal appointments when recommended by your healthcare provider. It does not take the place of a doctor's checkup, diagnosis, or treatment.
Preeclampsia is a condition but doctors know a lot about it and keep a close eye on it. If doctors find it early and check on the mother regularly most mothers and babies are fine. If you notice any signs of Preeclampsia you should talk to your doctor. Finding it early is still the way to keep both the mother and the baby safe.
According to the World Health Organization, preeclampsia's incidence is seven times higher in developing countries (2.8% of live births) than in developed countries (0.4%).
FAQ
Can preeclampsia go away on its own during pregnancy?
No preeclampsia does not go away on its own during pregnancy. Once preeclampsia develops preeclampsia does not resolve until after delivery. If you have preeclampsia doctors can manage it with monitoring and medication but preeclampsia itself does not get better while you are still pregnant.
At what blood pressure reading should I be concerned about preeclampsia?
You should be concerned about preeclampsia if your blood pressure reading is 140/90 mmHg or higher after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This is the threshold that doctors look at for preeclampsia. If you have a high reading it is not automatically a diagnosis of preeclampsia but it is a reason to get checked and follow up with your doctor about preeclampsia.
Does having preeclampsia mean I will need a C-section?
Not necessarily having preeclampsia does not mean you will need a C-section. Many women with preeclampsia are managed with monitoring and medication and have a normal delivery. However if preeclampsia turns severe or if early delivery is needed to protect the mother or baby a C-section becomes more likely.
Can preeclampsia come back in a pregnancy?
Yes preeclampsia can come back in a pregnancy. Having preeclampsia once raises the risk of getting preeclampsia in future pregnancies but it does not mean you will definitely get preeclampsia again. Doctors often recommend monitoring from earlier on in a subsequent pregnancy if you have had preeclampsia before.
Is preeclampsia dangerous for the baby even if the mother feels fine?
Yes, preeclampsia is dangerous for the baby even if the mother feels fine. That is the part about preeclampsia. A mother can feel completely normal while the baby's growth is already being affected by reduced blood flow through the placenta because of preeclampsia. This is why growth scans matter even when there are no symptoms of preeclampsia.
How after delivery does preeclampsia go away?
Preeclampsia usually goes away after delivery. Blood pressure usually starts coming down within days to weeks after birth. It does not always happen immediately after delivery. Doctors typically keep monitoring blood pressure for least a few weeks postpartum because symptoms of preeclampsia can still show up during that window after delivery.
Conclusion
Preeclampsia is really scary when you first hear about it. The good thing is that doctors know what to look for and when to look for Preeclampsia. They can usually find out if you have Preeclampsia by checking your blood pressure and doing a urine test when you go for your visits to the doctor.
This helps the doctors catch cases of Preeclampsia before they get bad. If you feel like something is not right between your visits, like you have a headache that will not go away or your feet are swelling up fast, do not wait until your appointment with the doctor. You should call your doctor away.
Making that one phone call to your doctor can make a difference. It can be the difference between having a case of Preeclampsia that's easy to manage and one that is more complicated. Preeclampsia can be very serious. It is good that doctors can find Preeclampsia and treat it early, which is very important for people who have Preeclampsia.