Postpartum eclampsia: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment

Postpartum eclampsia is characterized by the appearance of blood pressure above 140 x 90 mmHg and seizures between 48 hours and 6 weeks after birth. It can also cause symptoms such as headache, blurred vision and abdominal pain.

Typically, postpartum eclampsia occurs in the first 7 to 10 days after birth, being more common in women over 35 years of age who had a cesarean section and in cases of obesity, for example.

If postpartum eclampsia is suspected, it is recommended to seek emergency care for evaluation. Treatment is carried out with medications, mainly magnesium sulfate, which reduces seizures and prevents symptoms from worsening.

Main symptoms

The main symptoms of postpartum eclampsia are:

• Seizures;
• Headache;
• Changes in vision;
• Abdominal pain;
• Mental confusion;
• High pressure.

Eclampsia is a possible complication of pre-eclampsia, which is a condition that can appear between 20 weeks of pregnancy and the first 6 weeks after birth, causing symptoms such as high blood pressure, abdominal pain, worsening swelling in the body and pain. headache that doesn’t improve. Understand better what pre-eclampsia is.

How to confirm the diagnosis

The diagnosis of postpartum eclampsia is made by the obstetrician based on symptoms, checking blood pressure, which is normally greater than 140 x 90 mmHg, and the results of tests, such as measuring protein in the urine or creatinine and liver enzymes in the blood. .

If you want to make an appointment, you can find the doctor closest to you using the tool below:

In addition, sometimes the doctor may also recommend imaging tests, such as computed tomography, to rule out serious illnesses, such as stroke.

Possible causes

The exact cause of postpartum eclampsia is not known. However, the main factors that favor its emergence are:

• Obesity;
• Diabetes;
• Hypertension;
• Twin pregnancy;
• Delivery by cesarean section;
• Age over 35 years old.

All of these causes can be avoided, thus reducing the chances of postpartum eclampsia, with healthy lifestyle habits and adequate treatment.

How the treatment is carried out

Treatment for postpartum eclampsia usually involves the use of medications directly into the vein, such as magnesium sulfate, which controls seizures and prevents coma, and antihypertensives, to lower blood pressure.

Furthermore, it is important to pay attention to your diet, avoiding salt and fatty foods, so that your blood pressure does not increase again, drinking plenty of water and resting, as advised by your doctor. See more about the treatment of eclampsia.

Does postpartum eclampsia leave consequences?

When postpartum eclampsia is identified immediately and treatment is started immediately afterwards, the risk of sequelae is lower. In the most serious cases, eclampsia can cause permanent damage to vital organs, such as the liver, kidneys and brain, and progress to coma, which can be fatal.

Postpartum eclampsia does not put the baby at risk, only the mother. The baby is at risk when during pregnancy the woman is diagnosed with eclampsia or pre-eclampsia, with immediate delivery being the best form of treatment and prevention of complications.

HELLP syndrome is a possible complication of pre-eclampsia in which there may be problems with the liver, kidneys or accumulation of water in the lungs. Find out what it is, the main symptoms and how to treat HELLP syndrome.