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Preeclampsia Initiative

Manifesting in up to 10% of pregnancies worldwide, Preeclampsia can cause hypertension, damage to organs including kidneys and even death to the women. This Initiative supports the UN’s SDG #3.1 on Maternal Health.

Preeclampsia is difficult to diagnose as the symptoms are similar to many other conditions, sometimes the only cause of action is a premature birth which in itself is very risky to mother and child.

Background on Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE) is the second-most common cause of maternal mortality worldwide and is linked to severe maternal complications like eclampsia, strokes, and organ failure. PE is defined as new-onset hypertension and proteinuria after the second trimester of pregnancy and is associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease. Initially, symptoms such as proteinuria, edema, and new-onset hypertension all impact the kidney. Preeclampsia and eclampsia are significant causes of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in developing countries, where it is often slower to be detected.

Once preeclampsia is identified, maternal or fetal health reduction is unavoidable. However, the early stages may be challenging to diagnose, its course unpredictable, and its deterioration can be quick. The delivery of the fetus is the only effective treatment for preeclampsia and to preserve a mother’s life. While in cases of early-onset preeclampsia, the delivery of a premature baby with all of the significant associated complications, especially in areas that do not have the most advanced preterm health care, can end in the death of the baby.

Preeclampsia and sickle cell disease

Research supports the high prevalence of preeclampsia in SCD patients and raises the hypothesis that SCD episodes worsen renal function in preeclampsia patients. These findings also firmly establish the need for close renal parameter monitoring in SCD patients with preeclampsia. Further obscuring accurate preeclampsia diagnosis in SCD patients is that blood pressure in pregnant women with SCD may be within the normal range for the general population. However, SCD pregnant women might have a lower blood pressure reading before pregnancy. As a result, the SCD population may miss the early warning signs of preeclampsia.