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A Silent Killer - The disease all pregnant women should know about
Bub Hub E-Newsletter, May 2007, Issue 57 - Article 1


 
Baby A - just after birth at 27 weeks and
5 days gestation 		 

Why is it that 10% of pregnancies are affected by Pre Eclampsia (PE) in Australia yet it is something that is not a discussion topic among us?

This disease takes lives every day around the world, including Australia, and yet many babies are born prematurely due to it. Every year in Australia around 200 babies die due to PE, as a direct consequence of the premature age in which they were born. The only way to cure PE is to deliver the baby no matter what gestation the baby is. Around the world, more then 50,000 mothers die every year from Eclampsia. That number would dramatically increase if you took into account the other complications of PE.

Pre Eclampsia is a condition that only happens in pregnancy and is the most common medical disorder of a human pregnancy. It also can be called Pre-Eclamptic Toxemia or PET and has also been known as 'kidney fits'. Pre Eclampsia is high blood pressure (Hypertension), leakage of protein into the urine (Proteinuria), thinning of the blood (Coagulopathy) and liver dysfunction. Occasionally, Pre Eclampsia can lead to convulsions (fits), a serious complication known as Eclampsia.

There are women, such as myself, who have experienced Pre Eclampsia first-hand and are forced to step forward to speak out because we are so afraid for others who don't know about this complication.

Pre Eclampsia was the reason my daughter, Airlie Fae, was born at 27 weeks gestation, weighing 861 grams or 1lb 14ozs. I had very little idea about PE and just put the symptoms I was feeling down to being pregnant. But little did I know I was actually a time bomb that was in need of some serious medical attention.

Baby A - 2½ months old, still in hospital

Throughout my pregnancy I had small issues but nothing that I felt was big enough to warrant going to see a doctor. I did feel unwell some of the time but always put it down to being pregnant and would shrug it off. I experienced symptoms such as excessive swelling, which was very prominent in my face and feet towards the end of my pregnancy; the medical term for this is Oedema. I also suffered from severe headaches, visual disturbances, which in my case were like stars or black spots but can also be flashes of light, and pain in the upper abdomen which I put down to suffering indigestion. You can also have vomiting with Pre Eclampsia too.

These symptoms should never have been ignored but I was unaware just how serious all this meant. It was the combination of rising blood pressure and protein leaking from my urine that spelt disaster for Airlie Fae and I, and the doctors and nurses needed to act fast.

I was lucky that I was booked in for a routine appointment for a checkup and glucose test, many pregnant women are not so lucky. The longer it takes to seek medical advice, the more serious the complication can become and sometimes it can become too late.

For me there was enough time and I was given two steroid injections to help mature my daughter's lungs for birth. It then became a waiting game of how sick I got, to how dangerous it was for her to stay in my womb, all the while trying to give her a better chance to grow. Three days after I was diagnosed with PE I also developed HELLPS which stands for H (Haemolysis - red blood cell damage); EL (Elevated Liver Enzymes - indicating liver damage); and LP (Low Platelets in the blood leading to a bleeding tendency). This comes along with further complications and it was then that Airlie needed to be delivered. I had to have a C-section due to my high blood pressure and low platelets levels. My husband had to wait outside the delivery room while she was being born as hers was such a high risk delivery. When Airlie was born she had to be resuscitated and taken to NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and I spent almost 2 days in ICU. I was extremely lucky as other women have varying issues that linger as sometimes PE and HELLPS can be more dangerous after the actual birth. Airlie was cared for by a team of beautiful doctors and nurses at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney. They taught us how to heal and together, we watched her grow stronger every day. If I had of known what the symptoms of PE and HELLPS were, I would have sought medical attention sooner. Educating pregnant women about Pre Eclampsia is now my personal mission and I am passionate about making more people aware of PE and HELLPS.

There is no clear reason known for PE yet but there could be a chance that if your mother had PE during one or more of her pregnancies, then so could you. This makes me very keen to find a cure because I want to protect Airlie and everyone else's daughters from this happening to them. There is some evidence that the placenta is involved in the way we develop PE. The flow of the placenta malfunctions due to lack of sufficient blood from the mother, causing the blood vessels to become damaged and that in turn increases the blood pressure. This limit in blood and nutrients through to the baby also reduces the growth of the baby and how it develops within the womb. This can lead to intrauterine growth restriction and also lack of oxygen.
Baby A - a happy, healthy 15 mth old (corrected age is 12 mths)

Further research is needed to determine the exact cause and it is extremely important that all pregnant women are made aware of the symptoms and are encouraged to seek medical advice immediately. Even though my family has turned Airlie's premature birth into a positive, we were lucky to be looked after by an excellent medical team and we have become stronger as a family as a result, but I do not wish the experience on anyone else!

Remember:

  1. Every woman in her first pregnancy to any partner is at risk of PE.
  2. Even though statistics say it usually happens in your first pregancy, this is not always the case as it happened in my 2nd so always be aware of the symptoms.
  3. Always see a medical professional if you have severe headaches, vision disturbances, pain in the upper abdomen and sever swelling. Learn the signs and always seek medical advice.
  4. Always get your blood pressure checked.
  5. Always have a urine test done.
  6. Never miss an appointment.

 
 

This article kindly supplied by
Moment by Moment

ph: 0408 689 330
website: www.momentbymoment.com.au

Moment by Moment was born from experience and was passionately founded by the family of a 27 weeker.

We offer support, information and products for parents and families of both premature babies and angel babies (those whose journey did not continue).

Do you know someone who has had a premature baby?

At Moment by Moment, you will be able to purchase appropriate clothing and products for premature babies sized 800 grams and up. If you're about to purchase them a gift, buy the baby something precious, a garment that fits and I guarantee they will cherish it forever.

 
 


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