Understanding Preeclampsia: Looking For a Solution

It is time to recommit to reducing Preeclampsia in the Black community. By preventing preeclampsia, we can make sure that motherhood remains a joyous experience.  Preeclampsia can occur as early as the 20th week of pregnancy. The medical community is working hard to end pre-eclampsia.

What is Preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorder characterized by high blood pressure and often the presence of protein in the urine. Its manifestations can range from mild to severe, and in extreme cases, it can lead to life-threatening complications for both the mother and the unborn child. The condition not only threatens the health of the mother during pregnancy but can also have long-term health implications.

The main Preeclampsia symptoms are:

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Proteinuria
Swelling (Edema)
Headache
Nausea or Vomiting
Abdominal (stomach area) and/or Shoulder Pain
Lower back pain
Sudden Weight Gain
Changes in Vision
Hyperreflexia
Shortness of breath, anxiety

Contact your medical provider if you have one or more of the listed symptoms.

The Disproportionate Impact on the Black Community

Preeclampsia impacts the entire family when a loved one is ill or dies. Studies have shown that Black women are significantly more likely to develop preeclampsia than their white counterparts. This elevated risk is not attributed to genetic factors, but a complex interplay of socio-economic, environmental, and healthcare-related factors. Systemic issues such as access to quality healthcare, underlying health conditions, stress, and the pervasive effects of racism all contribute to this health inequity.

What Can You Do?

There are several courses of action that you can take to prevent preeclampsia.  Below are some of the several ways in which you can lower your risk:

• Register with a midwife who reflects your cultural needs, listens to you, and acts on your requests, and employ a Black doula or a community-based doula from your community, who is trained as a birth and postpartum doula, who can provide support and offer resources.
• Register early for prenatal care and attend all the appointments. This is the best way to detect high blood pressure early in pregnancy and to get early help. For more information on high blood pressure, click here.
• Eat daily dark green vegetables such as collards, turnips, and mustard greens, cooked then without meat or with turkey necks, eliminate soda, high sodium, and fast foods.
• Maintain a high protein diet of 80-90 grams of protein a day.
• Drink six to eight cups of water a day, and drink red raspberry pregnancy tea in the last trimester of pregnancy.
• During pregnancy reduce your stress at work, at school, or in your social life. Increase walking and consider a nap after 20 weeks pregnancy for 15 to 30 minutes.
• After the baby is born, take care of yourself and rest during the postpartum period for at least eight weeks, and continue monitoring your blood pressure.
• A healthy blood pressure range is 120/80mmHg. Check with your healthcare provider and learn what is a healthy blood pressure reading for you.

Prevention is Key

The risks posed by preeclampsia are serious, from severe pregnancy illness, organ damage, fetal retardation,

premature delivery, and death, to a lifetime of illness.  Making the necessary life changes will reduce the number of Black women impacted by preeclampsia and increase their safer pregnancies and childbirth experiences.

Resources

Please visit https://www.preeclampsia.org/ to learn more about preeclampsia and how to stay healthy. Doulas, please share this resource with your clients.