Eclampsia is a life-threatening complication of pregnancy for both the baby and the mother. It is not precisely known what causes it, but it usually clears up when the baby is born. Research is underway to understand this complex condition and to improve the treatments that are currently used to control it.
Disease: Eclampsia
Last update: May 2005
Intro
FAQ
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What is it?
Eclampsia is the development of seizures, or fits, in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a condition that usually occurs towards the third trimester of pregnancy and is characterised by high blood pressure, the presence of protein in the urine and edema. Both conditions are life threatening for both the mother and the baby. -
Who gets it?
Risk factors include the development of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia in previous pregnancies, high blood pressure, kidney disease and a family history of either condition.
Each year, eclampsia accounts for approximately 50,000 deaths worldwide. -
What can be done about it?
In Europe, early diagnosis and treatment of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia has seen mortality rates reduce to less than one per cent.
The treatment goals are to stabilise the mother and deliver a healthy baby. Eclampsia resolves itself once the baby is born.
Anticonvulsant medications are used in eclampsia to control seizures. Antihypertensive agents are used to control blood pressure in view of their beneficial effects on the progression of renal injury. The long-term prognosis is generally favorable. -
What does the future hold?
Much research is being done into ways of preventing pre-eclampsia, as this will then decrease the associated risk of eclampsia.
The immune system, hormone levels and the cells that line the blood vessels are all being investigated, in order to develop more accurate tests and more effective treatments for the condition.