About preeclampsia
The worldwide prevalence of preeclampsia ranges from 3 to 15% of pregnancies. Yearly, more than 8 500 000 cases are reported worldwide, of which 5 000 in Sweden. Preeclampsia is responsible for 25% of the maternal mortality rate in Sweden. Worldwide, preeclampsia is the most common cause of death for both children and mothers during pregnancy and is responsible for 15% of premature births in industrialized countries. Preeclampsia was described more than 2000 years ago by the ancient Egyptians. Clinically, preeclampsia manifests as hypertension and leakage of protein in the urine. The first signs of preeclampsia appear as early as 20 weeks of gestation (i.e. mid-pregnancy). The symptoms of preeclampsia are very diverse and include:
- Headache
- Swelling and/or sudden wight gain
- Abdominal and/or back pains
- Changes in vision
If you are interested in reading more about preeclampsia you can find more information on these links or contact your perinatal ward.
- The Preeclampsia Foundation (in English)
- Action on Pre-eclampsia (in English)
- Preeclampsia on Wikipedia (in English)
Diagnosing and treating preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is diagnosed by measuring blood pressure and the loss of protein in the urine (proteinuria). Unfortunately, this method of diagnosing is inaccurate since changes can occur very rapidly and blood pressure and proteinuria do not correlate well with the disease severity. It is also impossible to predict preeclampsia with these two parameters since they both appear after onset of the disease. There is a great need of an accurate diagnostic assay that not only can answer if a woman is suffering from preeclampsia but also how serious the complication is.
There is today no treatment for preeclampsia although all symptoms can be treated. Delivery is the only curable treatment for preeclampsia. Clinicians have to minimize the risk to the mother and at the same time allow the fetus to mature as much as possible. Therefore there is a great need for a safe treatment for preeclampsia which would eliminate the need for premature delivery in the severe cases of preeclampsia as well as ensure the well-being of the pregnant women.