Disease Information for Eclampsia of pregnancy: Definition

Preeclampsia /Eclampsia [Toxemia with seizures ]; Eclampsia is the occurence of seizures (convulsions) in a pregnant woman; The seizures are unrelated to brain conditions and usually happen after the 20th week of pregnancy; The cause of eclampsia is not well understood; serious complication of pregnancy marked by high blood pressure, weight gain, and protein in the urine; It is difficult to predict which women with preeclampsia will go on to have seizures; Women with very high blood pressure, headaches, vision changes, or abnormal blood tests have severe preeclampsia and are at high risk for seizures; The rate of eclampsia is approximately 1 out of 2000 to 3000 pregnancies; The following increase a woman"s chance for preeclampsia: First pregnancies, Teenage pregnancies, Being 35 or older, Bimodal frequency distribution with very young and very old first pregnancies; African-American; Multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets, etc); History of diabetes, hypertension, or renal (kidney) disease---Findings: Seizures, Severe agitation, Unconsciousness, Muscle aches and pains

Symptoms of preeclampsia include swelling of hands and face, gaining more than 2 pounds per week, headache, vision problems, and stomach pain [RUQ]; Proteinuria and fluid retention with or without hypertension evident;

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