Pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is a condition that occurs during pregnancy. It can affect both the mother and the unborn baby. It is caused by a defect in the placenta, which joins mother and baby and supplies the baby with nutrients and oxygen from the mother's blood. It is a rapidly progressive condition characterised by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine.

Pre-eclampsia is detectable only by regular antenatal checks on the mother's blood pressure and urine. Pre-eclampsia, Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) and toxaemia are closely related conditions. HELLP syndrome and eclampsia are other manifestations of the same syndrome and can occur during pregnancy or soon after birth.

It is potentially life-threatening to mother and baby if allowed to develop and progress undetected.
Pre-eclampsia is curable only be delivery, which can put some babies at risk of death from prematurity.