Preeclampsia and High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy - Exams and Tests

SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS

High blood pressure (hypertension) and preeclampsia are typically found during regular prenatal checkups. Because these conditions can get worse rapidly and can be life-threatening to you and your fetus, it's important that you have regular checkups during your pregnancy.

Routine prenatal tests

Certain tests are given at each prenatal visit to monitor for high blood pressure and preeclampsia. These include a:

  • Blood pressure reading. Blood pressure is always monitored closely during pregnancy.
  • Urine test for excess protein in the urine (proteinuria), a sign of preeclamptic kidney damage.
  • Weight measurement. (Rapid weight gain can be a sign of preeclamptic fluid retention.)

Tests for pregnant women considered high-risk for preeclampsia

Other tests may also be used to monitor for signs of preeclampsia, including:

  • Blood tests to check for blood abnormalities (as in HELLP syndrome) and for signs of kidney damage. (Elevated uric acid in the blood is often the earliest sign of preeclampsia.)
  • Creatinine clearance test, which requires both a blood sample and a 24-hour urine collection, to assess kidney function.
  • 24-hour urine collection test to assess protein in the urine.

Tests for women who have preeclampsia

If results from one or more of the above tests suggest that you have preeclampsia, you and your fetus will be closely monitored throughout the remainder of your pregnancy. The type and frequency of testing depend on the severity of the preeclampsia and the time remaining until your pregnancy reaches full term (37 to 42 completed weeks). Testing is more frequent and extensive when preeclampsia is severe and the pregnancy is far from full-term (less than 36 weeks).

Tests that may be given to assess your health if you have preeclampsia include:

  • A physical exam for signs and symptoms of preeclampsia that is getting worse.
  • Blood tests to check for blood abnormalities and kidney damage.
  • A creatinine clearance test, which requires both blood and urine samples, to assess kidney function.

Tests for women who have eclampsia

If you have a seizure (eclampsia), one or more of the following tests may be done after delivery to assess your brain function and condition:

Tests for the fetus

If you develop high blood pressure, preeclampsia, or both, your fetus's health also will be closely monitored. The more severe your condition, the more frequent the fetal testing, ranging from once a week to daily.

Tests commonly used to monitor fetal health include:

Less commonly, amniocentesis is used to check fetal well-being if preterm delivery is being considered as a treatment option. For this procedure, a needle is inserted into your abdomen to collect amniotic fluid from inside the uterus. The fluid is then checked for chemical signs that the fetus's lungs are mature.

By: Healthwise StaffLast Revised: November 3, 2010
Medical Review: Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine
William Gilbert, MD - Maternal and Fetal Medicine

© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

Advertisement
Care Circle

It Seems That You Are Not Logged In...

OR

Join Now

Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:

  1. Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
  2. Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
  3. Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.

The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.

How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?

Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.

How do I save content to my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.

How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.

How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.

See All News

Advertisement