Eclampsia - Seizure Risk in Pregnancy

Eclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy characterized by seizures and potential organ damage, requiring urgent medical intervention.
Related products/activities
Application
Pregnancy Complications | Seizure Disorders | Emergency Care | Pregnancy Seizures | Maternal Organ Damage
Prepared by Lee Cheng, reviewed by Dr. Helena Rodriguez

Eclampsia FAQ


Image credit: nursingexercise.com

When does eclampsia occur?

Eclampsia typically occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy. It’s rare and affects less than 3% of people with preeclampsia. Eclampsia can cause complications during pregnancy and requires emergency medical care.

How is eclampsia treated?

Eclampsia may occur during pregnancy (most commonly in the third trimester), labor, or in the days after giving birth. The treatment for preeclampsia and eclampsia is the delivery of the fetus, but a medication called magnesium sulfate reduces the risk of seizures in women with preeclampsia with severe features or eclampsia.

What is eclampsia during pregnancy?

What is eclampsia? Eclampsia is a serious medical condition that affects women during pregnancy. While symptoms often appear during pregnancy as a condition known as preeclampsia, the condition can go undetected until it develops into eclampsia. This can create additional complications during pregnancy.

What are the symptoms of eclampsia?

Eclampsia does have some associated conditions that can either present as symptoms or stand-alone conditions. These conditions include: Edema: Tissue swelling caused by the buildup of fluid in the tissues. This usually presents as swelling in the extremities.

What is eclampsia in pregnancy?

Eclampsia is the onset of seizures (convulsions) in a woman with pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy that presents with three main features: new onset of high blood pressure, large amounts of protein in the urine or other organ dysfunction, and edema.

Can eclampsia cause seizures?

Eclampsia often follows preeclampsia, which is characterized by high blood pressure occurring in pregnancy and, rarely, postpartum. Other findings may also be present such as protein in the urine. If your preeclampsia worsens and affects your brain, causing seizures, you have developed eclampsia.

Is eclampsia a life threatening condition?

There's a risk that the mother will develop fits called "eclampsia". These fits can be life threatening for the mother and baby, but they're rare. Pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects some pregnant women, usually during the second half of pregnancy (from around 20 weeks) or soon after their baby is delivered.

Eclampsia References

If you want to know more about Eclampsia, consider exploring links below:

Explore Related Topics