Lehigh County Health & Medicine Spring 2020 - 22

FEATURE

that accompany a pregnant woman who
develops preeclampsia, including poor fetal
growth, decreased amniotic fluid reserves,
placental compromise and premature
delivery. The hypertension of the mother
compromises blood flow to the placenta
thereby restricting oxygen and nutritional
reserves to the fetus. In fact, the newborn
may require an extended stay in the neonatal
ICU, which is especially difficult for families
and something parents don't expect when
they imagine the happiness surrounding
the birth of a newborn.
Recent data has shown that adverse
pregnancy outcomes such as preeclampsia
increase a woman's risk of developing heart
disease. Women with preeclampsia have an
overall 2 fold increased risk of heart disease
and stroke. They have a 4 fold increased risk
of hypertension. Even the American Heart
Association now recognizes preeclampsia,
eclampsia, pregnancy-induced hypertension,
and gestational diabetes as major risk factors
for cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately,
many providers and patients are not aware
of this link.
One of the fundamental diagnoses obThe presence of preeclampsia provides an
stetricians confront on a daily basis is
important opportunity for early detection
preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a severe
of women at risk for cardiovascular disease.
form of hypertension that affects 7% of
By educating health care professionals and
pregnancies. While women throughout
patients about these novel risk factors, we
time have experienced preeclampsia, there
can start to change these statistics. It is
is no definitively known reason why one
imperative that a woman's pregnancy history
woman over another develops this disease.
becomes a part of her documented medical
What we know about preeclampsia is that
history. Through careful monitoring, aggresit is associated with new onset hypertension
sive lifestyle modifications and appropriate
during pregnancy. The disease does not
treatments we can lower a woman's risk of
follow an exact pattern, but the pregnant
heart disease.
patient may present with vague symptoms of
a headache or excessive swelling. While these
symptoms may be part of normal pregnancy,
in some cases they are a sign of underlying
kidney compromise, lab abnormalities,
bleeding problems, or neurologic disorders.
Depending on the severity of the disease and
rapidity of onset, the presenting sign may
be an eclamptic seizure, cardiopulmonary
collapse or a stroke. Ultimately the only way
Preeclampsia also predisposes the woman
to abate the manifestation and severity of to needing interventions for a vaginal
preeclampsia is to deliver the fetus, regardless delivery or an emergency cesarean section.
of the gestational age.
As such, there are fetal and neonatal risks

One of the
fundamental
diagnoses
obstetricians
confront on a
daily basis is

preeclampsia.

22 Lehigh County Health & Medicine | SPRING 2020

Lehigh County Health & Medicine Spring 2020

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