You will also learn about the symptoms and treatment of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a condition of high blood pressure caused by pregnancy after the 20th week of pregnancy. Your blood pressure goes up, you retain water, and protein is found in your urine. It is also called toxemia or pregnancy-induced hypertension. Preeclampsia may be mild or severe.
Severe preeclampsia affects the mother's blood system, kidneys, brain, and other organs.
Sometimes, but very rarely, it causes death. If convulsions occur, the disease is called eclampsia. The cause of preeclampsia is not known. It is more likely to occur during first pregnancies than later pregnancies and in women less than 25 years old or over 35 years old. Women who have chronic hypertension, kidney disease, or diabetes, or who are pregnant with more than one baby, also have a greater risk of preeclampsia.