If you have preeclampsia, your health care provider should carefully monitor you for signs of worsening and potential eclampsia.
Delivery is the main treatment for severe preeclampsia to prevent eclampsia. Prolonging the pregnancy can be dangerous to both you and the baby.
With careful monitoring, the goal is to manage severe preeclampsia until 32 - 34 weeks into the pregnancy, and mild preeclampsia until 36 - 37 weeks have passed. This helps reduce complications from premature delivery.
You may be given medicine to prevent seizures. Such medicines are called anticonvulsants. Magnesium sulfate is a safe drug for both you and your baby.
Your doctor may prescribe medication to lower high blood pressure. If your blood pressure remains high, delivery may be needed.
Women with eclampsia or preeclampsia have a higher risk for:
Premature delivery that leads to complications in the baby
A blood clotting problem called DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation)
Calling your health care provider
Call your health care provider or go to the emergency room if you have any symptoms of eclampsia or preeclampsia. Emergency symptoms include seizures or decreased alertness.
You need urgent care if you have bright red vaginal bleeding, little or no movement in the baby, severe headache, severe right upper abdominal pain, vision loss, nausea or vomiting.
It is important for all pregnant women to get early and ongoing medical care. This allows for the early diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as preeclampsia. Treating preeclampsia may prevent eclampsia.
ACOG Practice Bulletin Committee. Diagnosis and management of preeclampsia and eclampsia. Obstet Gynecol. 2002;99:159-167.
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Sibai BM. Hypertension. In: Gabbe SG, Niebyl JR, Simpson JL, eds. Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2007:chap 33.
Stead LG. Seizures in pregnancy/eclampsia. Emerg Med Clin N Am. 2011;29:109-116
Houry DE, Salhi BA. Acute complications of pregnancy. In: Marx JA, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 176.
Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director and Director of Didactic Curriculum, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington. Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Bellevue, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.