Treatment of pre-eclampsia: Hospitalization and its goals

Pre-eclampsia arises suddenly and increases the risk to the mother and fetus. After the pregnancy is over, it disappears without leaving any consequences.

When pre-eclampsia occurs, thorough and regular examinations of the mother and baby are necessary.

With early pre-eclampsia, your doctor faces a challenging task. The baby needs more time to mature and must avoid the risk of serious complications.

Pre-eclampsia is always a reason to be hospitalized for health monitoring and birth planning, which is the only definitive solution.

During hospitalization, efforts are made to prolong the pregnancy as long as possible, stabilizing the blood pressure. In early pre-eclampsia, the time gained is used to administer the drug, corticosteroids to the mother and its movement across the placenta to the fetus to accelerate the maturation of the baby's lungs.

Prevention is as yet unknown, but is based on early detection of symptoms. A strict protein diet, salt restriction, adequate fluid intake, more than 2 litres per day, and resting on the left side to facilitate the return of blood from the lower half of the body are recommended. As a consequence of the pregnant abdomen and pressure on the inferior vena cava, blood flow is reduced.

The aim is to prevent deterioration of the mother's condition and to monitor the placenta and the baby's development. The first and foremost goal is to deliver a healthy newborn who is monitored regularly throughout the treatment using ultrasonography and other methods to monitor the overall condition.

The treatment is focused on several objectives. It consists of strict bed rest, as often as possible in the left lateral position, administration of drugs to reduce pressure, magnesium, possibly sedatives and acetylsalicylic acid, which prevents blood clots in the blood vessels.

The only effective treatment leading to a reduction in the symptoms of pre-eclampsia is delivery of the fetus and placenta.

If the pressure exceeds 160/110 mmHg at rest, along with taking medication to lower the pressure, the pregnancy should be terminated.

Induction of spontaneous labour is possible if the condition of the fetus is good. However, labour should not last more than 6-8 hours. If there are any complications or spontaneous labour cannot be performed, then a caesarean section delivery is performed.

Even after the baby is born, the condition of pre-eclampsia may persist for a while before the symptoms completely disappear.