May is Preeclampsia Awareness Month, and Aspirus Health would like to share important warning signs about the condition with women who are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant.

What is it?

Preeclampsia is a serious medical condition that can occur in the second half of pregnancy. It is dangerous to both mother (potentially resulting in organ damage) and baby (potentially resulting in preterm delivery). Preeclampsia occurs in 3-4% of all pregnancies in the US. Dr. Leah Becicka, an OB/Gyn at Aspirus Medford Hospital, says, “Despite years of extensive research, there are no tests that can reliably predict who will get it, and the only cure is delivery of the baby.”

How is it diagnosed?

Preeclampsia is usually discovered through regular prenatal checkups, underlying the importance of these visits. Elevated blood pressure and/or protein in the urine are the hallmarks of the diagnosis. Dr. Becicka explains, “Once diagnosed, preeclampsia can stay mild for several weeks but can also become severe very quickly, necessitating delivery of the baby, even if very premature.”

Symptoms of severe preeclampsia include persistent severe headache, visual problems, new onset of shortness of breath, or pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Severe preeclampsia can also be diagnosed by very high blood pressure and lab tests.

How is it treated?

Hospitalization and careful monitoring of the mother and baby are sometimes needed. However if the disease is very mild and the pregnancy is earlier in gestation, the mother can be watched closely to allow time for the baby to mature If preeclampsia is diagnosed at term ( >= 37 weeks) delivery is undertaken even if the disease is mild.

What are the risk factors?

The cause of preeclampsia is unknown, though some women are more likely than others to develop it. Your risk of having preeclampsia is higher if you: • Are pregnant for the first time

• Had chronic high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease before pregnancy

• Are older than 40 or younger than 18 years

• Are pregnant with twins, triplets, or other multiples

• Are obese

• Are African-American

• Have an immune system disorder, such as lupus

• Have had preeclampsia before.

Can preeclampsia be prevented?

There is no way to completely prevent getting preeclampsia. “There is evidence that lowdose aspirin may reduce the likelihood of getting preeclampsia and is given to women that have risk factors that place them at moderate to high risk of developing it,” says Dr. Becicka. "The low-dose aspirin is started late in the first trimester, usually around 12 weeks.”

The best way to keep you and your baby healthy throughout pregnancy is to go to all your scheduled prenatal visits so your doctor can check your blood pressure and watch for other signs and symptoms of preeclampsia.

For more information or to find an OB/Gyn near you, visit https://www.aspirus.org/obstetrics- gynecology.