This is an additional risk if you have preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a dangerous type of high blood pressure that can have detrimental effects on both a pregnant woman and her growing fetus. Sometimes the expectant mom is even admitted to the hospital for preterm inpatient care up until they deliver at 34 weeks gestation.

But new research found that preterm preeclampsia is independently associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism.

“Thromboembolism is a large clot that leads to obstruction in a blood vessel, typically in your legs or lungs,” says Dr. Rachel Harrison, an OB-GYN physician at Advocate Health Care and senior author of the research study. “These clots can be life-threatening and require treatment with anticoagulation at high doses for months after diagnosis.”

Preeclampsia, also known as toxemia, is a blood pressure disorder unique to pregnancy and occurs in 5 to 8% of all pregnancies.

“We believe it results from placental dysfunction which can lead to elevated maternal blood pressure,” says Dr. Calla Holmgren, an OB-GYN physician at Advocate Health Care and coauthor of the research study. “This disease is dangerous for the mother and fetus for many reasons, including increasing their risks for seizure, stroke, organ dysfunction or fetal demise.”

Symptoms of preeclampsia include:

• Swelling in the hands and/or face
• Persistent headaches
• Changes in vision
• Nausea
• Sudden weight gain
• Difficulty breathing

These symptoms typically arise in the third trimester but sometimes as early as 20 weeks gestation.

Preeclampsia typically only resolves after delivery, which means it’s often the best treatment. But the study suggests there are additional precautions you can take, such as a preventive anticoagulation treatment.

“The goal of this research was to identify women who may benefit from anticoagulation since we know the risks of thromboembolism can worsen the health of an already very high risk pregnant woman,” Dr. Harrison says. “We recommend that women admitted with preterm preeclampsia discuss with their providers whether they are eligible for a preventive dose of anticoagulation to see if it would be beneficial for them.”

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