Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Long-Term Effects of Eclampsia during Pregnancy | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
Are there long-term effects of having eclampsia during pregnancy? I had a severe case and my doctors put me on magnesium and induced labor almost six weeks early. My daughter is now four years old and I am still having problems with headaches and high blood pressure--neither of which I had before I was pregnant.— Billie in Jacksonville, FL | | | ANSWER |
September 17, 2001 | | | Dear Billie,
For most women who get pre-eclampsia or eclampsia (which is pre-eclampsia that included convulsions), recovery is complete and the whole scary, awful experience fades into a bad memory. In fact, most women with these conditions go on to have uncomplicated second pregnancies. Eclampsia or severe pre-eclampsia, especially if it occurred early in the pregnancy, does increase the chance of having the condition again in another pregnancy and of having high blood pressure later in life.
But even though there aren't usually long-term effects of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, you sure sound like you are having a bad time of it. Sometimes pre-eclampsia develops in a woman who has underlying chronic hypertension and then the underlying blood pressure problems continue after the birth. This may be what has happened in your case. Headaches are not usually part of high blood pressure though. I recommend that you see your doctor and ask these questions to try to see what can be done. It sounds like you are worrying and suffering. Good luck to you.— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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