Therapy of pre-eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia must be treated as an inpatient. Women who are diagnosed with pre-eclampsia are closely monitored.You must remain in bed and receive antihypertensive medication if your systolic values are above 160mmHg or diastolic values are above 110mmHg. The drug of first choice is the active substance alpha-methyldopa.
Alternatives are the active ingredients nifedipine, urapidil and, in the first and second trimester, metoprolol. The lowering of blood pressure must not take place outside the clinic, as strict monitoring is necessary. Female check-ups are the most important measures in pre-eclampsia.
A curative therapy does not exist. The aim of monitoring and therapeutic measures is to prevent complications. If preterm birth is imminent, glucocorticoids are administered to the mother to promote the child’s lung maturation.
In extreme cases, an emergency cesarean section must be performed. Magnesium is also administered into the vein to prevent eclampsia. Serum levels of magnesium must be closely monitored.
In case of fluid accumulation in the lungs (pulmonary edema), carefully draining medication can be used. In addition, pregnant women on the ward are given heparin to prevent thrombosis. The loss of protein can be compensated by the administration of human albumin into the vein. The aim should be to give birth as soon as possible. Depending on the risk to the mother, early delivery may be necessary even if the child is immature.
Duration of pre-eclampsia
Preeclampsia is usually limited to the duration of pregnancy. However, it can take several weeks after birth until all values and especially blood pressure stabilize again. In some women, the condition normalizes within a few days, while others do not reach normal blood pressure values until after several months.
Only in very rare cases does high blood pressure persist after pregnancy. Especially older women have an increased risk of this. Pre-eclampsia can begin after the 20th week of pregnancy and continue until delivery.
What are the consequences of pre-eclampsia for the baby?
Preeclampsia should not be taken lightly. It requires clinical monitoring and treatment to prevent consequences for mother and child. Pre-eclampsia can delay growth in the unborn child.
Furthermore, the risk of premature birth is increased. Premature births can have many complications and should be avoided if possible. Damage to the lungs, intestines, eyes, cerebral haemorrhage and a slowed heart rate (bradycardia) are possible effects of preterm birth.
Long-term developmental delays and disabilities can be the result. However, these risks can be easily avoided by monitoring and treating pre-eclampsia. In case of preterm birth, intensive care measures can also prevent long-term consequences.
Furthermore, pre-eclampsia can lead to a premature detachment of the placenta. This placental detachment has dramatic consequences for mother and child. The unborn child can die in the womb. The editors also recommend: Premature infant retinopathy, diseases of a premature infant
