Miracle Baby Beats Survival Odds Nov 12, 2007
She said she developed eclampsia, a condition that creates seizures during pregnancy. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, eclampsia follows preeclampsia, a serious complication of pregnancy marked by high blood pressure, weight gain, and protein in the urine ... The site suggests it is difficult to predict which women with preeclampsia will go on to have seizures. (KERO 23, CA)
Cheap Drug Could Save Lives in Poor Nations Oct 20, 2007
Eclampsia, which pushes blood pressure to fatal levels, kills 63,000 women a year, the international non-profit EngenderHealth said ... Magnesium sulphate treatment has all but eliminated the dangers of eclampsia and its precursor, pre-eclampsia, in places like the United States ... A big problem is health workers in the developing world use less effective drugs such as diazepam, a tranquilizer best known under the brand name Valium, to treat eclampsia and pre-eclampsia, EngenderHealth said. (MEDLINEplus)
Bell’s Palsy — Is Glucocorticoid Treatment Enough? Oct 18, 2007
Approximately a third of cases of acute peripheral facial weakness are caused by trauma, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, eclampsia, the Ramsay Hunt syndrome (facial palsy with zoster oticus caused by varicella zoster virus), Lyme disease, sarcoidosis, Sj. gren's syndrome, parotid gland tumors, and amyloidosis and may even be a complication of intranasal influenza vaccine. (New England Journal of Medicine)
U.S. maternal death rate higher than Europe's: report Oct 14, 2007
The major direct causes of U.S. pregnancy-related deaths are blood clots, hemorrhage, complications of medical conditions, and eclampsia and pre-eclampsia, which are marked by dangerously high blood pressure. The death rate among U.S. black women was nearly four times the rate found among non-Hispanic white women -- 34. (Scientific American)
Trista and Ryan Sutter Reveal Health Problems During Pregnancy Sep 15, 2007
Having found protein in her urine, a symptom of preeclampsia, her OB tested Trista, finding elevated blood pressure as well as other symptoms, and diagnosed her with HELLP syndrome. This occurs in about 10 percent of women with preeclampsia or eclampsia, and includes early breakdown of red blood cells, low platelet count and elevated liver enzymes. (Fox News)
Vitamin D deficiency increases risk in pregnancy, study finds Sep 9, 2007
Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of life-threatening pre-eclampsia during pregnancy fivefold, researchers reported Friday ... Pre-eclampsia, also known as toxemia, affects up to 7 percent of first pregnancies and can progress to eclampsia, which produces seizures and often fatal complications to the liver, kidneys, lungs, blood and nervous system ... Eclampsia causes up to 70 percent of maternal deaths in developing countries. (Seattle Times)
Life … but not as we know it Aug 30, 2007
Future breath tests could test for breast cancer, lung cancer, eclampsia and angina. The theory here is that we all have two types of breath: "dead space" breath from the upper air passages and alveolar breath from deep within the lungs, and it's the latter that can tell doctors what's going on deep inside your body. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Letters to the editor Aug 16, 2007
On July 28 my pregnant daughter suffered a traumatic medical event called eclampsia. This condition caused her to have grand mal seizures and other medical conditions which threatened to kill her and her baby. (SunOnline)
Newsweek:7 ways to save a mothers life Aug 8, 2007
Among American women, the most common complication of pregnancy is eclampsia, a condition that causes seizures. Women are at higher risk if they are obese, diabetic or have a history of high blood pressure. (MSNBC -- Health)
Hypertension Jun 21, 2007
The other is pregnancy where high blood pressure results in pre-eclampsia and eclampsia which are life threatening to both mother and baby. Once the baby is delivered, the hypertensive crisis is usually over. (Suite101.com)
Feline Health Terminology Jun 20, 2007
Eclampsia A disease caused by calcium deficiency that occurs at the end of pregnancy or shortly after. Enteritis Intestinal inflammation caused by bacterial infection. (Suite101.com)
Asthma Doesn't Usually Increase Pregnancy Risks May 31, 2007
Asthma did not significantly increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disorders, the need for assisted delivery, placental separation from the uterine wall (placental abruption), placenta blocks the opening to the birth canal (placental previa), pre-eclampsia (a condition affecting multiple body systems characterized by high blood pressure and kidney failure), or eclampsia (progression of pre-eclampsia to a life-threatening severity). However, when compared with women without... (MEDLINEplus)
Aspirin and pregnancy May 17, 2007
Low-dose blood thinner helps prevent potentially deadly pre-eclampsia, new analysis concludes ... May 17, 2007 Aspirin therapy helps prevent pre-eclampsia, an age-old problem of pregnancy for which there is no cure, researchers report in a major new analysis reported yesterday ... For as long as there has been pregnancy, pre-eclampsia has been one of its greatest mysteries. (Newsday -- Health)
Aspirin During Pregnancy Reduces Early Birth Risks, Study Shows May 17, 2007
The blood-pressure condition, called pre-eclampsia, and births before 34 weeks of pregnancy were 10 percent less likely in women taking aspirin, researchers led by Dr. Lisa Askie of the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia found in an analysis of more than 30,000 pregnant mothers. Pre-eclampsia is marked by a sudden increase in blood pressure after 20 weeks and can be fatal to the mother and baby ... Extensive subgroup and sensitivity analyses found no clear evidence that... (Bloomberg)
Indonesia maternity death rate reduced May 4, 2007
They can lead to hemorrhaging, eclampsia, infection, puerperal complications and abortion. "A professional strategy without people's commitment will not work, and people's commitment without a professional strategy is a waste of resources," Paskah Suzetta said. (People's Daily Online, China)
African-American Mothers More Likely To Deliver Prematurely, Missouri Study Finds Feb 13, 2007
The researchers analyzed data from the Missouri Department of Health's maternally linked database of all births in Missouri between 1989 and 1997, adjusting for such variables as socioeconomic status, education level, cigarette smoking and maternal medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and eclampsia. Full-term birth is considered to be between 37 weeks and 42 weeks of gestation. (Science Daily)
Stillbirth risk for women over 40 Feb 12, 2007
Difficulties in previous pregnancies, such as pre eclampsia, problems with the position of the placenta which hamper natural delivery and diabetes can increase the risk. Baby checks. (Yahoo News -- Fertility & Pregnancy)
High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Boosts Lifetime Heart Risk Feb 6, 2007
Some go on to develop a condition called preeclampsia, which can damage the placenta, kidney, liver and brain. A more serious condition, called eclampsia, is a leading cause of pregnancy-related mortality ... The increase in calcification in the Dutch study was seen not only in women who developed preeclampsia but also those with high blood pressure, Hayes noted. (Washington Post)
Pregnancy Deaths More Common in Black Women Jan 3, 2007
Overall, the study found, black and white women had similar rates of five of the most common pregnancy complications: pre-eclampsia, whose signs include elevated blood pressure and fluid retention; eclampsia, a more severe form of the disorder that can cause seizures or coma; placental abruption, in which the placenta separates from the uterine wall; placenta previa, in which the placenta blocks the opening to the birth canal; and hemorrhaging after childbirth. By contrast, for every 100,000... (MEDLINEplus)
Nicaragua abortion ban called a threat to lives Nov 26, 2006
That rules out operations to save women with ectopic pregnancies, eclampsia, cardiac problems, or other life-threatening complications if doctors could not guarantee that the fetus would survive, Flores said. "This law is forcing us to be delinquent in our jobs," he said. (Boston Globe -- World)
Risks for Pregnant Women With Lupus Nov 16, 2006
Among its findings: Pregnant women with lupus are 20 times more likely to die, and they're four times as apt to develop eclampsia, a serious condition often accompanied by seizures. "Women with lupus need to be followed very carefully by a rheumatologist and a high-risk obstetrician, but the majority if women with lupus can -- and will -- have a successful pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby," says researcher Megan Clowse, MD.. (Yahoo News -- Fertility & Pregnancy)
Drug-induced labour raises risk for rare complication Oct 22, 2006
The other risk factors included maternal age of 35 or older, multiple pregnancy, Caesarean or vaginal forceps delivery, cervical laceration or uterine rupture, eclampsia and fetal distress. Health Canada has agreed to lift restrictions on the distribution and use of silicone gel breast implants. (CBC News)
Drug-Induced Labor Carries Risk of Rare But Dangerous Complication Oct 21, 2006
Other risk factors included maternal age of 35 or older, multiple pregnancy, Caesarean or vaginal forceps delivery, cervical laceration or uterine rupture, eclampsia and fetal distress. The absolute risk remained small -- only four or five cases and one or two fatal cases per 100,000 women induced. (Forbes)
Induced Labor Doubles Risk of Rare Pregnancy Complication Oct 21, 2006
Other risk factors for amniotic fluid embolism were multiple pregnancy, older maternal age (35 or older), caesarean delivery or instrument-assisted vaginal delivery, eclampsia, polyhydramnios, placental abruption, placenta previa, cervical laceration, uterine rupture, and fetal distress, the authors found ... For eclampsia, the adjusted odds ratio was 11. (MedPage Today)
Canadian study demonstrates medical induction of labor increases risk of amniotic-fluid embollism Oct 20, 2006
The research team also found several other factors to be associated with higher rates of AFE, including multiple pregnancy, older maternal age (35 years or older), caesarean or instrumental vaginal delivery, eclampsia (a serious complication of pregnancy characterised by convulsions), polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid), abnormal placental position or separation, and cervical laceration or uterine rupture. "Our findings confirm the hypothesis that medical induction of labour is related to... (EurekAlert!)
The labour lottery Oct 3, 2006
The commonest problems that bring them here are pre-eclampsia, eclampsia itself (which causes fits) and women whose pelvises are too narrow to allow the baby out (especially common in teenage mothers). For the many women who need instrumental deliveries, the hospital has two sets of forceps and one ventouse. (Guardian Unlimited)
Maternal Weight Gain After First Pregnancy Complicates Second Sep 30, 2006
The research is the first study to directly link maternal weight gain to pregnancy problems like pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and stillbirth ... "Villamor and Cnattingius report that women with a BMI decrease of more than one unit had lower rates of pre eclampsia and large-for-gestational-age infants," he added. (Food Consumer)
Weight Link To Pregnancy Problems Sep 29, 2006
They are more prone to the life threatening placenta disorder pre eclampsia, high blood pressure, temporary diabetes, caesarean delivery, stillbirth and having large babies that can lead to a difficult delivery ... "Not only did the researchers find that an increase in body mass index was associated with adverse outcomes, they also showed "a dose response effect".With a BMI increase of one to two units, they found modest increases in pre eclampsia, temporary diabetes, and large infants.But with... (Life Style Extra)
Birth aidMedics help women in Afghanistan have babies safely Sep 10, 2006
" Because many of the women come to the hospital late on in their pregnancies, they often have extra complications, such obstructed labour and a ruptured uterus, as well as eclampsia. Long travels Jacqui said: "I recently delivered twins using forceps. "The mother had travelled for two days to reach the hospital. She was feeling unwell and had swelling in her face and a severe headache. "She travelled for the first day by horse and spent the second day on a bus. (BBC News -- South Asia)
Progress Vs. Serious Pregnancy Ailment Sep 8, 2006
Test Seen Possible For Preeclampsia, Precursor Of Deadly Condition ... (CBS) There may be new hope in the fight against preeclampsia, a condition that appears before a more advanced one that can be life-threatening to both mother and child ... Preeclampsia affects as many as 200,000 pregnant women in the United States each year. (CBS News -- Early Show)
Breakthrough in Treatment of Deadly Pregnancy Condition Sep 8, 2006
Two proteins secreted by the placenta may be responsible for virtually all cases of preeclampsia, a severe complication of pregnancy that can be fatal to a mother or her baby, researchers report today ... "This finding appears to be an important step in developing a cure for preeclampsia," said Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health ... More than 6 million women around the world and 270,000 in the United States suffer preeclampsia during pregnancy each year. (ktla 5)
Molecules in blood foretell development of preeclampsia Sep 7, 2006
High levels of two proteins in the blood of pregnant women appear to indicate the subsequent development of preeclampsia, a life-threatening complication of pregnancy, report a team of researchers from the National Institutes of Health and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ... "This finding appears to be an important step in developing a cure for preeclampsia," said Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., Director of the National Institutes of Health ... Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal death and... (EurekAlert!)
Birth risksThe doctors aiming to save women and children worldwide Sep 3, 2006
More than 80% of these deaths are caused by conditions which we are very able to prevent or treat - bleeding, obstructed labour, eclampsia, infection and unsafe abortions ... "I was in Northern Nigeria recently and I saw a woman lying in a bed with pre-eclampsia. "She and the baby did survive, but the doctors took some time to get the drugs she needed to treat her ... " She said the women needed to know they would get the best possible care. "More than 80% of these deaths are caused by... (BBC News -- Health)
Med-mal pall over OB-GYNs Aug 20, 2006
While under observation at Charleston Area Medical Centers Women and Childrens Hospital, the 22-year-old Boone County native developed pre-eclampsia, a disorder that produces high blood pressure in about 5 percent of pregnant women. In her case, it progressed into eclampsia, which involves seizures and can leave the patient unconscious for variable periods of time. (Charleston Gazette, WV -- News)
Hypertension in pregnancy needs checking Aug 18, 2006
I had developed preeclampsia, again. One of the leading causes of fetal and maternal illness and death according to the World Health Organization, affecting 5 to 8 per cent of all pregnancies and with a particularly high mortality rate in the developing world, preeclampsia has left its mark on many Canadian families, including my own ... Other than death, consequences of preeclampsia for babies include restricted growth in the womb (or sometimes too much growth), premature delivery, and all of... (Toronto Star -- Life)
Bad science: Ben Goldacre Aug 12, 2006
Eclampsia is estimated to cause 50,000 maternal deaths worldwide each year, and the best treatment by a huge margin is cheap, unpatented, magnesium sulphate: not the expensive anti-convulsants that were used for many decades. And yet, although magnesium for eclampsia had been used since 1906, its position as the best treatment was only established in 2002, with the help ofthe World Health Organisation: there was no commercial interest in the research question, because the majority of deaths are... (Guardian Unlimited)
Mother of three gave birth to triplets Aug 9, 2006
Mampong (Ash), Aug 8, GNA- Dr Emmanuel Ahiable, Medical Superintendent of the Ashanti-Manpomg District hospital has said that eclampsia was one of four pregnancy-related complications that most often led to death in areas where there is no emergency obstetric care ... The woman, Madam Hagar Dwomoh, native of Benim, near Mampong, who collapsed due to eclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension) and was rushed to the hospital but for the immediate intervention of Dr Ahiable, she would had died... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
The health-care business is so bad. Alternative models are needed. Jul 20, 2006
Gandhi's ideas of celibacy, nonviolence, and truthfulness appealed to Dr. V. In 1948, after three of his cousins had died of eclampsia (an attack of convulsions) in the last three months of their pregnancies, Dr. V. began postgraduate medical training at Stanley Medical College, in Madras, training to become an OB-GYN. Rheumatoid arthritis struck him soon after graduation, and he was hospitalized for almost two years. Severe pain began then, and it has never left him. (FastCompany)
The Preeclampsia Mystery Jul 19, 2006
THE PREECLAMPSIA PUZZLE Making sense of a mysterious pregnancy disorder ... In June, 2000, Ananth Karumanchi, a thirty-one-year-old kidney specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston, read an article in Nature about preeclampsia, a poorly understood disorder that affects about five per cent of pregnant women ... In the developing world, preeclampsia is one of the leading causes of maternal death; it is thought to kill more than seventy-five thousand women each year. (New Yorker)
Antenatal care to cover entire Adansi South Jul 11, 2006
Mrs Oduro entreated pregnant women to attend clinic, at least, four times in the pregnancy period to enable health workers detect and correct any condition likely to result in fatal conditions such as eclampsia, post partum haemorrhage and abortion. Mrs Allswell Ackon, Adansi South Deputy District director of Nursing Services, assured women in the district that her outfit will work hard to protect pregnant women from related diseases which at times lead to death. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
HIV-positive women have more pregnancy difficulties: study Jun 20, 2006
- An increased risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension, but no greater risk of developing the potentially life-threatening eclampsia. - Lower maternal weight, with HIV-positive women weighing 6 percent less than women who tested negative. (People's Daily Online, China)
Warners walk for Shelly May 3, 2006
John and Brenda Warner show off their year-old granddaughter, Hailey, who will be featured on PSAs for the local Preeclampsia Foundation Walk-A-Thon ... One week after giving birth to the bundle of joy, Shelly Bridgewater, the Warner's 25-year-old daughter, and a 1997 graduate of Davenport West High School, died after a battle with severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome ... To that end, they've become heavily involved with the Preeclampsia Foundation, and why John serves as the group's local... (Eldrige North Scott Press, IA)
Vitamins do not cut risk of pregnancy complication Mar 31, 2006
LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - High doses of vitamin supplements do not reduce the incidence of pre-eclampsia in women who have a high risk of the pregnancy complication, scientists said on Thursday. Pre-eclampsia, which causes dangerously high blood pressure, occurs in 2-3 percent of pregnancies ... "Our findings of an increase in low birth-weight and an increased need for treatment for pre-eclampsia suggest that these high doses of vitamin C & E do not work in preventing pre-eclampsia," said... (Reuters AlertNet)
Leading Causes of Maternal Deaths Identified Mar 30, 2006
The researchers said magnesium sulphate should be available in all regions, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, for women with seizures due to high blood pressure and eclampsia. Effective antenatal care could help identify women at risk of high blood pressure and eclampsia, a serious complication during late pregnancy. (MEDLINEplus)
Top health risks to mothers in poor nations Mar 28, 2006
The researchers said magnesium sulphate should be available in all regions, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, for women suffering from seizures due to high blood pressure and eclampsia. Effective antenatal care could help identify women at risk of high blood pressure and eclampsia which results in convulsion during late pregnancy. (MSNBC -- Health)
Women's health findings presented at national conference Mar 26, 2006
In addition, a major conference debate on the essence of preeclampsia will feature James Roberts, M.D., MWRI director ... An internationally known authority, Dr. Roberts will argue that preeclampsia is a maternal disease ... Christopher Redman, M.D., of the University of Oxford, England, will take a contrary position, arguing that preeclampsia is a fetal disease. (EurekAlert!)
Calcium may cut severe pregnancy complications: study shows Mar 14, 2006
BEIJING, March 13(Xinhuanet) -- Pregnant women taking the calcium tablets are less likely to have severe complications of preeclampsia, a condition in which a woman's blood pressure rises dramatically, according to a new international study. However, the extra calcium did not significantly reduce the number of women who got preeclampsia, according to Dr. Jose Villar of the World Health Organization, lead author of the study ... While the incidence of preeclampsia was not statistically different... (Xinhua)
Calcium Cuts Pregnancy Complications Mar 13, 2006
FRIDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Boosting the calcium intake of pregnant women with low dietary calcium can help prevent complications from a dangerous condition known as preeclampsia, in which a woman's blood pressure rises dramatically, a new global study found. However, the extra calcium did not significantly reduce the number of women who got preeclampsia, according to Dr. Jose Villar of the World Health Organization, lead author of the study that appears in the March issue of the... (Forbes)
Calcium Supplements Reduce Pregnancy Complications Mar 11, 2006
Review GENEVA, March 10 - Calcium supplements failed to prevent preeclampsia in healthy pregnant women but reduced its more serious complications -- maternal morbidity and neonatal mortality ... The primary endpoint, reducing preeclampsia, proved elusive ... Calcium supplementation was associated with a non-statistically significant small reduction in preeclampsia (4. (CNN)
Major WHO study concludes calcium supplements can reduce complications during pregnancy Mar 10, 2006
Preeclampsia, the development of high blood pressure and protein in the urine during pregnancy and its more severe complications such as eclampsia, can threaten the lives of both mother and child. While there is no therapy to prevent preeclampsia, a link to calcium deficiency has been suggested ... Over 8300 women with low dietary calcium (While the incidence of preeclampsia was not statistically different in the supplemented women, eclampsia, other severe complications and severe gestational... (EurekAlert!)
