by Santana Moores

Created on: July 10, 2008

Toxemia is also know as preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension). It is a pregnancy-related form of high blood pressure. No one knows what causes a woman to get toxemia or why it normally develops in first time moms to be. It is caused when the body produces a toxin and destorys a cell called endothelial that lines the blood vessels. Some studies link it to poor nutrition others theorized that the toxin is made by the body as a defense against the foreign intruder, the baby, when our body should have a mechanism to stop the toxin from forming.

Some of the signs and symptoms of toxemia are swelling of the hands and face with sudden excessive weight gain. This is also related to water retention. For a woman with no history of high blood pressure another sign is a blood pressure reading of 140/190 or higher. Protein in the urine is another sign. Toxemia or preeclampsia can progress quickly to a server stage. Another increase in blood pressure (160/110 or higher), more protein in the urine, blurred vision, all-over itching, irritability, scanty urine output, headaches, server gasrtic pain and or abnormal liver or kidney function, confusion. If the severe toxemia goes untreated it can further progress into eclampsia, which is characterized by convulsion and sometimes coma.

Toxemia is rarely seen, only about 5 to 10 percent of pregnancies. Although if left untreated it can cause permanent damage to the nervous system, blood vessels or the kidneys in the mother. It can also cause growth problems for the baby because of the lack of blood and or oxygen supply. In most cases it is caught in an early stage and with the proper medical attention is successfully treated.

Toxemia may not show until labour or until the postpartum period. Sometimes the increase in blood pressure is just your body's way in dealing with the stress that is just went through but there is a possibility that it may be true preeclampsia. In these cases the women are checked more regularly for high blood pressure, urine protein and their blood chemistry.

Treatment of toxemia will be different with each case. It really depends on the severity of the disease, the condition of both mom and babe and the length of the pregnancy. Women with a mild case who is close to full term will normally be induced right away. The woman who isn't will usually be hospitalized for complete bed rest and watched closely. In very mild cases bed rest at home may be permitted.

With a sever case of toxemia the treatment will be more aggressive. Magnesium sulfate is given by an IV, this help prevent one of the worst complications, convulsions. If the baby is close to full term and or the lungs are mature, immediate delivery is recommended. Some doctors prefer to give the baby more time to mature so the mothers are hospitalized and given medication with bed rest and closely monitored. This may not be the more beneficial approach to this situation. If the condition worsens or if the mother or baby goes into deterioration then this approach is abandoned and delivery is done.

97 percent of women with toxemia, who had no previous condition with high blood pressure or chronic hypertension, will return to normal after delivery. This usually happens within the first 24 hours, for the other 3 percent usually within the first week.

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