Postpartum preeclampsia can occur up to six weeks after delivery and is more dangerous for new mothers as their bodies are weakened. Symptoms include high blood pressure, excess protein in urine, vision problems, migraines, nausea, dizziness, sudden weight gain, and severe abdominal pain. Causes include insufficient blood flow to the uterus, immune system problems, damage to blood vessels during childbirth, poor diet, obesity, overstretching of the uterus, and air pollution. Women at risk include those diagnosed with preeclampsia during pregnancy, women who have given birth to multiples, women younger than 20, women older than 40, and first-time moms. It can be treated with high blood pressure medications, antiepileptic drugs, steroids, blood transfusions, or even surgery. New mothers undergo a standard screening for postpartum preeclampsia before they leave the hospital after giving birth and during their six-week postpartum checkup.
While preeclampsia mostly occurs during pregnancy, postpartum preeclampsia can occur up to six weeks after delivery. Preeclampsia is the most common of the dangerous complications that can occur in expectant or new mothers. It can be caused by preeclampsia during pregnancy that doesn’t resolve with delivery, or it can appear seemingly out of nowhere after delivery.
Postpartum preeclampsia has several symptoms, including the new mother having a blood pressure above 140/90 and excess protein in her urine. You may also experience vision problems, migraines, nausea, dizziness, sudden weight gain, or severe abdominal pain. These symptoms can be typical in new mothers, which makes the diagnosis of this condition difficult.
Researchers believe that insufficient blood flow to the uterus, problems with the immune system, damage to blood vessels during childbirth, and poor diet are possible causes of preeclampsia after childbirth. Other possible causes are obesity, overstretching of the uterus, and even air pollution. When preeclampsia develops during pregnancy, both mother and baby are at risk. Only the mother is at risk of postpartum preeclampsia, but this is considered even more dangerous for her because her body is weakened by the trauma of childbirth.
Postpartum preeclampsia is most dangerous to the mother within the first 48 hours after delivery. It can cause multiple organ failure, infections, and blood clotting problems. If left untreated, it can also cause seizures and even send the mother into a coma, when it becomes eclampsia. There is also a risk of developing haemolysis, increased liver enzymes and low platelet count syndrome (HELLP), which can be life-threatening for the mother. Current research also indicates that women who are diagnosed with preeclampsia, either during pregnancy or after giving birth, are at increased risk for cardiovascular health problems later in life.
Women at risk for this disorder include those diagnosed with preeclampsia during pregnancy, women who have given birth to multiples, women younger than 20, women older than 40, and first-time moms . While preeclampsia that develops during pregnancy can only be treated with childbirth, postpartum preeclampsia can be treated with high blood pressure medications, antiepileptic drugs, steroids, blood transfusions, or even surgery. If diagnosed early, the prognosis for the mother is very good.
Today, new mothers usually undergo a standard screening for postpartum preeclampsia before they leave the hospital after giving birth and during their six-week postpartum checkup. Doctors regularly check blood pressure and monitor for swelling in the legs and feet, which is a frequent and early symptom of the problem, although swelling of these areas is also common for any new mother. Despite this monitoring, doctors encourage new mothers to report any symptoms of postpartum preeclampsia to their primary care physician as soon as they are noticed. If symptoms are severe, women are encouraged to go to the emergency room right away.
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