What is Pregnancy Poisoning (Preeclampsia)? Symptoms and Causes

by Abbas Jahangir · June 15, 2024

Pregnancy toxicity (preeclampsia) is a serious condition that occurs during pregnancy and endangers the health of both mother and baby. So what does preeclampsia mean? What are the causes of pregnancy poisoning? How is pregnancy poisoning treated? You can find the answers to all these questions in the rest of the article.

What is Pregnancy Poisoning (Preeclampsia)?

Preeclampsia, also known as pregnancy poisoning, is a disease characterized by high blood pressure, that is, high blood pressure, which usually begins after the 20th week of pregnancy. In preeclampsia, this increase in blood pressure causes damage to various organs, especially the liver and kidneys. Preeclampsia can have serious consequences that endanger the lives of the mother and baby. When preeclampsia causes seizures in the mother, it is called eclampsia. Although eclampsia is rare, it is a condition that can threaten the lives of the mother and the baby, just like preeclampsia.

What are the symptoms of pregnancy poisoning?

Preeclampsia can sometimes develop without causing any symptoms. In preeclampsia, blood pressure may rise slowly over time or suddenly. Since the first sign of preeclampsia is usually high blood pressure, pregnant women should have their blood pressure checked regularly during prenatal checkups. Blood pressure over 140/90 mmHg during pregnancy (when measured at least twice, at least 4 hours apart) means high blood pressure. Some of the signs and symptoms seen in pregnancy poisoning are as follows:

Presence of protein in the urine (proteinuria) and other conditions that may occur due to kidney damage,
Severe headache,
Vision problems such as blurred vision, sensitivity to light, temporary vision loss,
Pain felt in the upper right part of the abdomen,
Nausea, vomiting,
Decreased urine output,
Decrease in the number of platelets (thrombocytopenia),
Deterioration in liver functions,
Shortness of breath due to fluid accumulation in the lungs.

Weight gain and swelling in the hands and face are also among the symptoms that may occur in preeclampsia. However, since these symptoms can also be seen in normal pregnancy, they are not considered among the symptoms suggestive of preeclampsia.

What Causes Pregnancy Poisoning?

Why preeclampsia develops has not yet been fully elucidated. However, it is thought that the development of preeclampsia may be related to the placenta, which provides nourishment to the fetus during pregnancy. In the early period of pregnancy, new blood vessels form in the mother in order to send sufficient blood to the placenta. In women with preeclampsia, blood vessel formation does not occur properly or does not function fully. In women with preeclampsia, the newly formed veins are narrower than they should be and cannot fully respond to hormonal changes. As a result, all of these reduce the blood flow from the newly formed vessels to the placenta. Problems in vascular development and function in women with preeclampsia may occur due to the factors listed below. Some of them are as follows:

Insufficient blood flow to the uterus,
Damage to blood vessels,
Problems with the immune system,
Various genes.

Pregnancy toxicity occurs as a complication in pregnancy. Women with preeclampsia may be completely healthy before becoming pregnant. Some of the factors that increase the risk of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy can be listed as follows:

History of Preeclampsia: People who have experienced pregnancy poisoning in their previous pregnancies are likely to experience the same problem in their next pregnancies.
Chronic Hypertension: Women who had high blood pressure before becoming pregnant are at risk for developing preeclampsia during pregnancy.
First Pregnancy: A woman’s chance of experiencing preeclampsia is highest during her first pregnancy.
New Father: The risk of preeclampsia increases with each new partner. The risk of preeclampsia is higher in second and third pregnancies conceived from a new partner, compared to second or third pregnancies conceived from the same person.
Age: The risk of pregnancy poisoning is higher in both very young expectant mothers and expectant mothers over the age of 35.
Obesity: Obese women are more likely to have pregnancy poisoning.
Multiple Pregnancy: Multiple pregnancies with twins, triplets or more babies pose a risk for preeclampsia.
Time Between Pregnancies: Less than 2 years or more than 10 years between two pregnancies increases the chance of preeclampsia.
Some Diseases: Preeclampsia is more likely to occur in women who had diseases such as type 1 or type 2 diabetes, hypertension, migraine, blood clotting disorder, and lupus before pregnancy.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): The risk of preeclampsia may increase in pregnancies conceived through IVF, or in vitro fertilization as it is commonly known.

How to Understand Pregnancy Poisoning?

To diagnose preeclampsia, the patient’s symptoms are first questioned and then an examination is performed. If a pregnant woman has one or more of the following symptoms in addition to high blood pressure, preeclampsia can be diagnosed:

Protein leakage in the urine (proteinuria),
Low platelet count in the blood,
Deterioration in liver functions,
Presence of findings indicating kidney damage other than proteinuria,
Fluid accumulation in the lungs (pulmonary edema),
New onset headache or visual disturbances.

Additional tests such as blood test, urine analysis, fetal ultrasound, Non-Stress Test (NST) may be needed to further investigate pregnancy toxicity. These examinations help understand to what extent the mother and baby are affected by preeclampsia. Women diagnosed with preeclampsia need to see a doctor more frequently than normal during pregnancy. During these checks, the health of the mother and baby can be evaluated with various tests.

How is Preeclampsia Treated?

The most effective treatment for pregnancy poisoning is birth. As the high blood pressure in preeclampsia continues, the likelihood of complications such as seizures, stroke, premature separation of the placenta, and severe bleeding increases. In cases where birth is not preferred as a treatment option in the treatment of preeclampsia, medical treatment can be started. Some of the drugs used in the treatment of pregnancy poisoning are as follows:

Medications that Lower Blood Pressure: These medications, also known as antihypertensives, are used in cases where blood pressure is seriously high. Although there are many different types of medications that help lower blood pressure, not all of these medications are suitable for use during pregnancy. Therefore, a doctor should be consulted before starting any antihypertensive medication during pregnancy.
Corticosteroids: In women with severe preeclampsia, these medications may allow the pregnancy to continue for some time by improving liver and platelet functions. In addition, corticosteroids prepare the baby for a possible premature birth by accelerating the baby’s lung development.
Anticonvulsants: Anticonvulsant medications such as magnesium sulfate can be used to prevent the development of seizures in women with severe preeclampsia.

In Which Week Does Pregnancy Poisoning Occur?

Preeclampsia mostly occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy. Pregnancy poisoning is rarely encountered before the 20th week. In some cases, preeclampsia may develop in the first 4 weeks after birth, but this is also rare.

Does Pregnancy Poisoning Harm the Baby?

Preeclampsia can cause problems of varying severity for both the mother and the baby. The most common effects of preeclampsia on babies are as follows:

Fetal Development Restriction: In pregnancy poisoning, low blood flow from the mother to the placenta causes the baby to receive less oxygen and less nutrients. Problems such as developmental delay and low birth weight may occur in underfed babies.
Premature Birth: In preeclampsia, a decision to give early birth may be made to protect the health of both mother and baby. A baby born prematurely may experience various problems, especially respiratory distress.
Placental Abruption: Preeclampsia increases the risk of placental abruption, where the placenta separates from the uterine wall before birth. Placental abruption can cause excessive bleeding, putting the lives of both mother and baby at risk.

Poisoning during pregnancy is a very serious situation. For this reason, those who show symptoms of poisoning during pregnancy or who have experienced preeclampsia in previous pregnancies should definitely consult a doctor and have their blood pressure monitored regularly. Women diagnosed with pregnancy poisoning should follow their doctor’s advice and go for check-ups at the specified intervals. We wish you healthy days.