Identifying and preventing complications can be challenging, particularly because our knowledge of the causes of these problems is limited. Our goal is to provide a tool to help clinicians assess, monitor and manage high blood pressure and related conditions for the health and well-being of both mother and child. Six to 8 percent of pregnant women have hypertensive disorders, which Lenfant said can contribute to serious complications. For the fetus, that can mean significantly reduced growth in the womb, or in some cases even still birth. About 15 percent of the deaths of new mothers are caused by high blood pressure, particularly if they develop conditions called preeclampsia or eclampsia.
Hypertension can also impair an expectant mother's kidney, liver and brain functions.
It updates a report issued in 1990 and a set of guidelines dating from 1997. Presence of that protein is a strong indicator of preeclampsia, a syndrome that can affect the placenta and the mother's kidneys, liver and brain. Preeclampsia can appear gradually or suddenly, and may be mild or severe. In its most severe form, it can lead to eclampsia, which can result in death if not treated promptly. High blood pressure develops so often during pregnancy that a new category, gestational hypertension, has been created.