Diagnosis of preeclampsia begins with a medical history and physical exam. The woman's blood pressure will be measured. Women who have had eclampsia also have a higher lifetime risk of developing high blood pressure and dying due to heart attacks or strokes. Eclampsia is not contagious. Both mother and baby are at risk for complications of preeclampsia and eclampsia.
Eclampsia is treated by delivering the baby.
If the baby is older than 28 weeks, a cesarean section is usually done. During a C-section, the baby is delivered through an incision made in the abdomen. Prolonging the pregnancy can harm the mother or cause the baby to die. Before a C-section is done, the mother's seizures and blood pressure may need to be controlled with medicines. Magnesium sulfate is the medicine of choice to prevent and control seizures.