PREECLAMPSIA AND ECLAMPSIA

hypertensive conditions that are induced by pregnancy. Preeclampsia, also called gestational edema-proteinuria-hypertension (GEPH), is an acute toxic condition arising during the second half of the gestation period or in the first week after delivery and generally occurs mainly in young women during a first pregnancy. It is marked by elevated blood pressure (hypertension), protein in the urine (proteinuria), and swelling (edema) that is strikingly noticeable in the hands and face. Eclampsia, a more severe condition with convulsions, follows preeclampsia in about 5 percent of preeclamptic women and poses a serious threat to both mother and child. The elevated blood pressure that is central to both conditions results from an increased responsiveness to hormones (such as angiotensin) that constrict blood vessels; preeclamptic women thus differ from other pregnant women, whose blood vessels are less responsive to these hormones. Persistent hypertension compromises the blood supply to the placenta, endangering the health of the fetus; it also causes the mother's kidneys to deteriorate, resulting in urinary protein loss. Common symptoms of preeclampsia include headaches, visual disturbances, and stomach pain; however, it may be detected before the onset of symptoms by monitoring blood pressure and weight gain. Preeclampsia can often be controlled by special diets, medication, and limitation of activity. If it occurs late in pregnancy, there is the option of early delivery. Eclampsia can usually be avoided by these measures. If convulsions occur, they are treated with infusions of magnesium sulfate.