High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy

High blood pressure refers to the pressure or the force of the blood flow in the arteries of the body at any given time. Many people struggle with high blood pressure for unknown reasons, and this can occur during pregnancy as well. Blood pressure is always something to be concerned with, but during pregnancy it can have devastating consequences for the baby as well as the pregnant woman. For this reason, you need to have regular appointments with your doctor during pregnancy so he or she can monitor your blood pressure in addition to other things.

More About Pregnancy and High Blood Pressure

When you are pregnant and your blood pressure reading is more than 140/90 your doctor will diagnose you with high blood pressure. After the 20th week of pregnancy you may develop high blood pressure, which is referred to as preeclampsia. High blood pressure is dangerous for the mother and the baby because it can cause harm to the mother’s organs and it can cause low birth weight in babies as well as pre-term delivery.

Preeclampsia is serious business. This is a condition in which the blood pressure of the woman rises above the 140/90 mark and she’ll have protein in her urine, which is an indicator of kidney problems. This condition is known to affect the placenta, and it can also cause damage to the mother’s kidneys, liver, and brain. If the condition leads to seizures, the condition is then known as eclampsia, which is the second leading cause of death in pregnant women in the United States. Preeclampsia is the leading cause of conditions in the fetus which include the previously mentioned low birth weight, early delivery, and also stillbirth.

Six to eight percent of all women develop preeclampsia or high blood pressure during pregnancy. In 1998 there were more than 146,000 cases diagnosed in the United States. Of the cases that are diagnosed, about 70% of them are first time pregnancies. There is no known way to prevent this from occurring, though eating healthy during pregnancy is always a good idea.

Those that are most likely to develop high blood pressure during pregnancy include:

• Women with chronic high blood pressure before pregnancy
• Women with a history of having high blood pressure/preeclampsia during pregnancy
• Obese women
• Women under the age of 20 and over the age of 40
• Women who are pregnant with multiple fetuses
• Women with diabetes, kidney disease, arthritis, lupus, or scleroderma

Unfortunately, the only way to cure high blood pressure or preeclampsia is to deliver the fetus. In cases where the fetus will not survive out of the womb, doctors will put off delivery as long as possible, often putting the woman in bed rest or admitting her to the hospital for continual observation. In some cases, doctors cannot help but deliver the baby pre-term for the safety of the mother.