PREGNANCY AND PRE-ECLAMPSIA

Pregnancy and Pre-Eclampsia



Pregnancy and Pre-Eclampsia

Introduction

Pre-eclampsia is a condition that occurs in pregnant women. It is characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. In addition, often in patients with preeclampsia marked swelling of the feet and hands. Typically, preeclampsia occurs in the second half of pregnancy in the late second or third trimester, although there may be even earlier. Preeclampsia, which is also called toxaemia in pregnancy, is the most common cause of maternal deaths worldwide. Other symptoms of preeclampsia include excessive weight gain, headache, and pain in stomach as well as problems in vision. Although the underlying causes of preeclampsia have not been known, the condition takes place due to factors like genetics, diet related, autoimmune and vascular and swelling of face and hands (Hajjar, 2009).

The most common age for preeclampsia to occur is first pregnancy, multiple pregnancies or pregnancies occurring in old age. Patients who have a history of high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney problems are also prone to preeclampsia. According to the estimates of the World Health Organization, preeclampsia occurs in 3.2 % of live births every year, which means that there are more than 4 million cases of preeclampsia annually taking place across the globe. Since preeclampsia is one of the most common causes of maternal deaths, the death rate in the year 2008 was approximated to be at 1.7 percent, which resulted in more than 68,000 maternal deaths in 2010.

What causes preeclampsia?

The causes of preeclampsia remain unknown. There are many theories that suggest that the causes may be related to genetic factors, nutritional, vascular or neurological problems, but none of them has come to be confirmed. Typically, preeclampsia is indicated by the high blood pressure, weight gain and loss of protein in the urine. It is characterized by the more severe case of preeclampsia and toxemia of pregnancy is exacerbated by seizures (Mehta, 2007).

Despite extensive research, no one knows for sure what causes this condition. Most experts believe that in many cases of preeclampsia actually existed since the beginning of pregnancy, well before symptoms appear, and is associated with a reduced blood flow to the placenta. This could happen if the placenta does not implant properly in the lining of the uterus and the arteries of the area do not dilate as they should, so less blood reaches the placenta. Hypertension chronic and diabetes can also decrease blood flow to the placenta.

Studies indicate that changes in blood flow to the placenta can produce high levels of placental proteins that enter your bloodstream. This can produce a complex set of effects, among which include vasoconstriction (resulting in hypertension), damage to vessel walls (causing swelling and protein in urine) and alterations in blood clotting, which in turn can cause many other problems. It is unclear what happens to some women and not others, and it is possible that no single explanation. It could be genetics, nutrition, underlying diseases, and how the immune system reacts to pregnancy, ...