During pregnancy, there is a risk of high blood pressure and organ damage, known as pre-eclampsia. In this article we go through and describe what pre-eclampsia is.

High blood pressure (hypertension) during pregnancy occurs in approximately eight percent of all pregnancies. Of this eight percent, two percent have chronic high blood pressure, approximately three percent have pure gestational hypertension, while the remaining three percent have pre-eclampsia – but this varies between different studies.

It is important to keep track of your blood pressure during pregnancy as it is an important factor for the well-being (and survival) of the pregnant person and the foetus during pregnancy. In Sweden, we have a well-developed maternity and obstetric care system, but high blood pressure during pregnancy in developing countries is still a big and difficult problem. The WHO classifies it as a global health problem.

So, what is pregnancy-related high blood pressure, or pregnancy-related hypertension as the medical profession calls it?
It is a blood pressure that exceeds 140/90 mm Hg after the 20th week of pregnancy. In order to make a high blood pressure diagnosis, there must be at least two measurements and the pregnant person must have rested beforehand.

What is pre-eclampsia?
This is when the pregnant person has high blood pressure and organ damage at the same time. Often, those who get pre-eclampsia leak protein into their urine, which indicates that their kidneys are affected. Normally, molecules as large as protein do not leak through the kidneys. Protein in the urine is checked at the maternity ward by having you urinate on a urine dipstick. How many people are affected depends on the research you read, but varies between 3-5%. The vast majority get a mild form.

The cause of pre-eclampsia is not fully understood. Researchers believe, among other things, that the formation of the placenta and its vascular growth in the uterus are important for the development of pre-eclampsia.

What is the increased risk of pre-eclampsia?

• Heredity
• First-time mothers
• Previous pregnancy with pre-eclampsia
• Underlying diseases such as diabetes, but also kidney, vascular or systemic diseases.
• Too much blood fat
• Obesity
• Pregnancy after egg donation
• Chromosome abnormalities in the foetus
• Twin pregnancy

If you develop pre-eclampsia, your blood pressure, urine test and any other tests are checked more frequently, and this is usually done through specialist maternity healthcare services. The only way to “cure” pre-eclampsia is by delivering the baby, and therefore there is an increased risk of the baby being born prematurely.