High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy: How Is Preeclampsia Diagnosed?

High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy: How Is Preeclampsia Diagnosed? - High blood pressure during pregnancy can lead to preeclampsia, which is dangerous for both mother and baby. Learn how this disorder is diagnosed. High blood pressure during pregnancy can lead to a disorder called preeclampsia. Preeclampsia affects all the organs in the body and is dangerous for both pregnant women and their babies. It can cause premature birth, low birth weight and other complications.

Preeclampsia can usually be managed successfully. If it is not treated, it can lead to eclampsia, which may cause seizures, coma and death.

Preeclampsia may not cause any obvious symptoms, which is one reason it's very important to get good prenatal care. During your prenatal visits the doctor will do routine tests to watch for the development of preeclampsia.

Types of high blood pressure

Preeclampsia is one of four main types of high blood pressure that can occur during pregnancy:

• Preeclampsia is a serious disorder marked by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. It usually occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy and goes away after the baby is born.
• Gestational hypertension is high blood pressure that develops after the 20th week of pregnancy but does not cause protein in the urine. It sometimes turns into preeclampsia. Blood pressure returns to normal after delivery.
• Chronic hypertension is high blood pressure that was present before pregnancy or developed in early pregnancy. It does not go away after delivery.
• Chronic hypertension with preeclampsia is an increase in existing high blood pressure along with protein in the urine. Women with chronic hypertension are at high risk for preeclampsia.
• All types of high blood pressure during pregnancy raise the risk of pregnancy complications. But the risk is greatest for women with chronic hypertension who develop preeclampsia.

Diagnosing preeclampsia

At each prenatal visit, your doctor or midwife will check your blood pressure and test your urine for protein. Preeclampsia may be diagnosed if:

• Your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher
• You have excess protein in your urine and
• You are past 20 weeks of pregnancy

If you are diagnosed with preeclampsia, your doctor may do other tests such as:

• Blood tests to check kidney function and platelet count
• Further urine testing
• An ultrasound to check your baby's growth and condition

After the diagnosis, you will be monitored carefully through the rest of your pregnancy. You will need to see your doctor for testing every week or more often. For the health and safety of yourself and your baby, it's vital to go to all your appointments.

Related Article:

• How Are Labor and Delivery Affected by Preeclampsia?
• What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Preeclampsia?
• How Preeclampsia In The Mother Can Affect Her Baby

SOURCES:

• March of Dimes. High blood pressure during pregnancy.
• Wagner LK. Diagnosis and management of preeclampsia. American Family Physician. 2004;70(12):2317-2324.
• Sibai BM. Preeclampsia. In: Gabbe SG, Niebyl JR, Simpson JL, eds. Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 5th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2007.
• National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. High blood pressure in pregnancy.
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. High blood pressure during pregnancy.