Postpartum preeclampsia

Overview

Postpartum preeclampsia is a serious condition increasing the blood pressure and showing the excess of protein in the urine. Preeclampsia and other pregnancy-related hypertension illnesses share many of its characteristics with this condition, and usually disappears after birth, without affecting the baby.

Postpartum preeclampsia is a condition that only happens after birth, and this condition can occur in people who have never experienced high blood pressure or preeclampsia. Most commonly, postpartum preeclampsia occurs within 48 hours of the birth of the child, however late postpartum preeclampsia can develop up to six weeks or even later after the delivery of the child.

Postpartum preeclampsia requires early medical attention. If left untreated, this illness can cause death, brain damage, and stroke. The chances of a full recovery is indeed very high after diagnosis and treatment.

Symptoms

Pregnancy often goes undetected by the majority of women who develop postpartum preeclampsia.
Postpartum preeclampsia can present with symptoms similar to those with preeclampsia prior to delivery, such as:

• Hypertension with blood pressure greater than 140/90 mmHg
• High protein level in the urine (proteinuria)
• Swelling of the extremities
• Blurred vision, sensitivity to light, or temporary loss of vision
• Upper abdominal pain, commonly on the right side under the ribs
• Severe Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Decreased urination

If the patient is experiencing any signs and symptoms of postpartum preeclampsia after giving a birth, they have to contact their healthcare practitioner, as they might require emergency medical attention depending on the situation.

Causes

The exact reason of postpartum preeclampsia is not yet known but there are several circumstances that raise the risk. Patients are recommended to attend all prenatal and postnatal checkups; they need to disclose their medical history with their provider and bring up any unusual symptoms they experience. The healthcare professional may be able to identify postpartum preeclampsia.

Risk factors

Postpartum preeclampsia shares many of the same risk factors as preeclampsia during pregnancy, but any woman is vulnerable regardless of their history of blood pressure issues, weight, nutrition, or exercise.
The likelihood of developing postpartum preeclampsia is affected by a number of factors. The patient might be at greater risk if they have any of the following conditions:

• Blood pressure: If patients experience high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy or uncontrolled high blood pressure before becoming pregnant, they might have a higher chance of developing postpartum preeclampsia.
• Family History: The risk increases if there is a history of preeclampsia or postpartum preeclampsia in the family.
• Obesity: Patients have higher risk for postpartum preeclampsia if their body mass index is categorized as obese.
• Twins or more: The risk of preeclampsia increases if the mother is expecting twins, triplets, or more.
• Diabetes: The likelihood of developing preeclampsia and postpartum preeclampsia is increased if the patient have type 1 or type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes.