Toxemia, also known as preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension, is a serious medical condition that affects women after 20 weeks of pregnancy. It is characterized by high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine and can lead to life-threatening complications for both mother and baby. Risk factors include pregnancy, anamnesis, age, and weight problems. Symptoms include increased blood pressure, excess protein in the urine, sudden weight gain, swelling, abdominal pain, vision loss, and decreased urine output. The only cure is delivering the baby, but treatments include bed rest and medication. Expectant mothers should manage stress to reduce the dangerous effects of the disease.
Toxemia is a serious medical condition that usually affects women after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Also known as preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), toxemia is characterized by a sudden increase in blood pressure and the presence of excess protein in the urine. If toxemia is not diagnosed or treated, the continued rise in blood pressure can lead to life-threatening complications for both mother and baby. Indeed, toxemia and other diseases associated with hypertension are the leading causes of maternal and infant mortality worldwide.
At present, there are no known causes that trigger the onset of this disorder. However, there are documented risk factors that can cause some women to be predisposed to toxemia.
1. Pregnancy. Being pregnant in itself carries the greatest risk of this problem. The incidence of toxemia is highest in early pregnancies, whether with a woman’s first partner or a new partner. Women who become pregnant for the first time in a decade or more are also at increased risk. Additionally, multiple births increase a woman’s risk of developing this condition. Past medical statistics have shown that toxemia occurs more often in women who carry twins, triplets, or multiple babies.
2. Anamnesis. Women who have previously suffered from pregnancy-induced hypertension are more likely to re-develop toxemia. A history of the condition in other relatives’ pregnancies also places a woman at higher risk. Women with other existing conditions, such as kidney disease, chronic high blood pressure, and diabetes, are also prone to develop toxemia.
3. Age. While being pregnant over the age of 35 increases the risk of toxemia, the condition can also appear in younger women, particularly those who are younger than 20 at the time of pregnancy.
4. Weight problems. Having an ideal weight before pregnancy based on body mass index (BMI) calculations is essential to prevent the onset of toxemia. Women with a BMI over 30 are at risk of this condition during their pregnancies.
The most obvious symptoms of toxemia are increased blood pressure and excess protein in the urine after the 20th week of pregnancy. These symptoms are usually discovered during regular prenatal checkups. If these symptoms are present, doctors keep a close eye on both the mother’s and baby’s progress to determine whether the symptoms are a one-time occurrence or signs of this life-threatening disease. Other less obvious but notable symptoms are sudden weight gain of more than two pounds per week, swelling in the hands and face, upper right abdominal pain, blurred or temporary vision loss, and decreased urine output.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for toxemia other than delivering the baby, after which blood pressure should return to normal within a few days. However, delivery may not be possible if toxemia started too early in pregnancy. In this case, doctors may try to delay the delivery to allow the baby to mature sufficiently before inducing labor or performing a C-section. Treatments during this time include a combination of bed rest with limited physical activities and medications to lower blood pressure.
It is always disheartening for a mother-to-be to discover that her pregnancy is complicated by the presence of toxemia. However, constant worry and increased anxiety can only make the condition worse. Therefore, expectant mothers should try to stay optimistic and manage stress to reduce the dangerous effects of the disease on themselves and their babies.
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