World Pre-eclampsia Day 2021
May is Pre-eclampsia awareness month
22nd May is World Pre-eclampsia Day
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys. Preeclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had been normal. Monitoring your blood pressure is an important part of prenatal care because the first sign of preeclampsia is commonly a rise in blood pressure.
The exact cause of preeclampsia involves several factors. Experts believe it begins in the placenta — the organ that nourishes the fetus throughout pregnancy. Early in pregnancy, new blood vessels develop and evolve to efficiently send blood to the placenta.
Preeclampsia develops only as a complication of pregnancy. Risk factors include: History of Preeclampsia, Chronic hypertension, Age, Race, Obesity and Multiple pregnancies.
Preeclampsia affects 2 to 8 percent of pregnancies worldwide. In the United States, it’s the cause of 15 percent of premature births. 1 in 6 women who have had pre-eclampsia will have it again in a future pregnancy.
Chopped by
