Pregnancy Complication Preeclampsia on the Rise

March 30, 2001 -- In a recent episode of the television program The Practice, attorney Ellenor Frutt (Camryn Mannheim) discovered complications with her pregnancy. Her doctor was treating Frutt for preeclampsia, a dangerous condition that complicates up to 10 percent of first pregnancies.

Preeclampsia is responsible for about 16 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. The condition is characterized by high blood pressure and slow growth of the fetus.

ABCNEWS' Dr. Nancy Snyderman says the potentially life-threatening condition is a bit of a mystery. Doctors aren't certain what causes preeclampsia, but they do know the dangerous condition is on the rise.

"Preeclampsia can affect the mother's kidneys, liver and brain," Snyderman tells Good Morning America. "When a mother has it, that can mean a low birth weight, premature birth or even a stillbirth."

A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine sheds some light on why some mothers develop it. In some cases, it is passed on both through mothers and fathers, according to the study. Both men and women who were preeclampsia babies are more likely to pass on the condition.

The condition typically shows up after the 20th week of pregnancy. Expectant mothers who develop it will have high blood pressure and protein in their urine. The high protein levels show up as a result of kidney problems that develop when preeclampsia is present. The condition can threaten the lives of both the mother and the fetus.

When preeclampsia causes seizures, the condition is known as eclampsia, which is the second leading cause of maternal death in the U.S. When a pregnant woman develops preeclampsia and high blood pressure, less blood flows to the placenta, which means the fetus is getting less oxygen and nutrients. This, in turn, slows down the growth of the fetus.

There is no known way to prevent preeclampsia and no single test to diagnose the dysfunction. The only way to "cure" it is to deliver the baby.

The rate of preeclampsia in the U.S. has increased by nearly one-third in the past decade. Doctors say the increase in multiple births and the number of older mothers may account for the increase in cases of preeclampsia.

Women who are most at risk for preeclampsia are those who have suffered from hypertension, obesity, diabetes and kidney disease. Women who are pregnant for the first time or women with multiple birth pregnancies are also at higher risk of developing preeclampsia.