During pregnancy your blood pressure will be checked at every antenatal appointment. This is because a rise in blood pressure can be the first sign of pre-eclampsia, often called pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or pre-eclamptic toxaemia (PET). It can run in families and affects 10% of pregnancies. Your urine will also be checked for protein.
If you do have pre-eclampsia, you will probably feel well. Some women experience headaches, visual disturbances, swelling and abdominal pain. But pre-eclampsia can be severe even if there are no symptoms.
Although most cases are mild and cause no trouble, the condition can get worse and be serious for both mother and baby. It can cause fits in the mother (eclampsia) and affect the baby’s growth, and be life-threatening if left untreated. That is why routine antenatal checks are so important.
Pre-eclampsia usually happens towards the end of pregnancy, but problems can happen earlier. Rarely, it can happen after the birth. If it does get worse, the treatment ranges from rest at home or in hospital to drugs that lower the high blood pressure, or, occasionally, early delivery of the baby.
