What Are Preeclampsia and Eclampsia ?
Preeclampsia and eclampsia are forms of high blood pressure that occur during pregnancy. As the names suggest, these two disorders are related. Preeclampsia, also called toxemia, may develop into the more severe eclampsia, which includes symptoms of preeclampsia together with seizure. These conditions, when they develop, usually occur during the second half of pregnancy (after 20 weeks), though sometimes they develop shortly after delivery and, in very rare situations, they occur before 20 weeks of pregnancy. It is dangerous to allow blood pressure to stay high during pregnancy. High blood pressure may interfere with the placenta’s ability to deliver oxygen and nutrition to your fetus, so your baby may be born weighing less than normal and may have other health problems. These pregnancies may need to be delivered early or by cesarean section. If your blood pressure continues to get higher and higher, your kidneys may have trouble functioning. You may have changes in the makeup of your
