This is most noticeable in the legs due to the effect of gravity. Pre-eclampsia is commoner in younger mothers in first pregnancies.
The first sign is a rise in the blood pressure.
High blood pressure or hypertension can be present before pregnancy and then she will need close watching throughout because high blood pressure itself can cause problems.
In pre-eclampsia all three signs are usually present: the rise in blood pressure, the albumin in the urine and the oedema.
The great risk is to the developing foetus. The constriction of the arteries affects the placenta and this interferes with the nourishment of the baby.
If the baby does not receive proper nourishment it may die in the womb, or if born alive, may succumb within the first few weeks.
Pre-eclamptic toxaemia can also cause bleeding behind the placenta where it attaches to the womb.
This bleeding, if large enough, will cause separation of the placenta from the lining of the womb and can damage the baby’s circulation and lead to its death.
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