How to lower risk of preeclampsia in pregnancy

According to a study from SeonAe Yeo, Ph.D, an associate professor with a specialty in women’s health at the UNC School of Nursing at Chapel Hill, for some women, preeclampsia risks may be lowered by following a simple 40 minute, 5 times a week, stretching routine during pregnancy.

Researchers at the university, lead by Dr. Yeo, followed 79 women with a history of preeclampsia from 2001 to 2006 to determine the differences between women who walked for exercise and women who stretched.

Yeo and her teams’ findings showed that stretching could in fact provide extra protection against preeclampsia because stretchers produced more transferrin than walkers did. Transferrin is a plasma protein that transports iron through the blood and protects against oxidative stress on the body.

They say these new findings are contrary to the former belief that rigorous exercise was the way to alleviate preeclampsia risk.

Preeclampsia, also called toxemia or pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), is a condition that affects between 5% and 8% of pregnancies each year, and accounts for numerous maternal and fetal issues worldwide.

Women who may be prone to the disease are those who have a previous personal history or family history of preeclampsia, those with a history of high blood pressure, those with PCOS, those carrying multiples, those with autoimmune disorders or Lupus, those over 40, those with a body mass index of more than 30 % and those with poor nutritional habits.

Additionally, women who do not consume a healthy diet, remain sedentary, and who do not take the required prenatal supplements before and throughout their pregnancy may increase their chances of contracting preeclampsia. Although preeclampsia is often easily detected with noticeable symptoms, there are instances where it can come about from nowhere, endangering the life of both mother and child if gone untreated.

According to the Preeclampsia Foundation at www.preeclampsia.org, preeclampsia, toxemia, PIH, PET, as well as ephegesis gestosis refer to serious, closely related hypertensive conditions of pregnancy.

The foundation says toxemia is actually an older term used, which was based on a belief that the condition was the result of toxins or poisons in the bloodstream.

Preeclampsia can lead to eclampsia in the later stages of pregnancy, if not monitored. Eclampsia is one of the most serious complications of pregnancy and can lead to eclamptic convulsions or seizures that may lead to coma, brain damage, maternal or infant death.

In an effort to reduce blood pressure and preeclampsia symptoms, anti-hypertensive meds may be prescribed, and in rare instances, diuretics. A more recent clinical approach is to use magnesium sulfate.

If the mother or child’s health is at risk and blood pressure cannot be controlled, steroid treatment may be advised to help mature the baby’s lungs and ready him for an early delivery.

Those with a history of preeclampsia may have a restricted diet and exercise routine outlined for them by their health care provider in an attempt to stave off the harmful illness.

On a final note from the study at Chapel Hill; researchers found that at the end of the participants’ pregnancies, almost 15 percent of the women in the walking group had developed preeclampsia and less than 5 percent of the women from the stretching group actually developed the dangerous condition.

Signs of Preeclampsia

When a pregnant woman’s blood pressure readings reach 140/90, more than twice in six hours, it is often a sign of preeclampsia. Other signs related to the onset of preeclampsia are swelling and excess protein in the urine.

If a pregnant woman experiences any of the following symptoms, she should contact her doctor immediately to check for preeclampsia and/or determine the cause of the issue.

• High blood-pressure
• Severe headaches
•  Swelling
•  Changes in vision
• Upper abdominal pain, usually under the ribs on the right side
•  Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness
• Decreased urine output

Generally, preeclampsia does not affect pregnant women prone to the illness until after the 20th week of pregnancy.

After a doctor closely monitors a woman’s blood pressure, tests urine for protein levels and diagnoses preeclampsia, the healthcare provider may do additional tests to check that the liver and kidneys are functioning properly.

Additional blood work may be required to see if the blood has the normal number of platelets.

And finally, monitoring the baby’s development is of the utmost importance at this time as it is vital to be certain the baby is continuing to receive sufficient oxygen and nutrients. A steroid treatment may be given in an effort to mature the baby’s lungs.

GetPregnant.org