There are eight usual signs that a midwife or doctor can detect that could reveal an impending eclampsia:

- a reduced urine output
- an increase in protein in the urine
- a severe headache, usually at the front of the head
- drowsiness
- visual disturbances
- epigastric pain
- nausea and/or vomiting

These signs usually signal the start of eclampsia, but if you, as the mother, are aware of them yourself and you have a good, alert, medical team, assistance can be gained very quickly. Your team’s aim –if you present with all, or some, of these symptoms- will be to prevent the possible convulsions, or fits, control your blood pressure and prevent a coma, and ultimately, prevent the death of both mother and child.

Make no mistake, this is a serious condition and I’m not stating these facts to alarm you. This article is to educate you, so that you can be aware of the signs before you reach hospital. (Dizziness, headache, visual disturbances, etc.) Acquaint yourself with these symptoms to be alert yourself and keep you and your baby safe. Any sign of the onset of these, then you must alert your medical team. Even if it’s a false alarm and you’re just developing a migraine, it is better to be safe, than sorry.

Full blown eclampsia is not common, though pre-eclampsia is more prevalent and can be recognised and treated before symptoms become severe and dangerous.

In some cases though, the pre-eclampsia onset can be so rapid, eclampsia progresses before treatment can be administered, so you can see for yourself why you need to educate yourself about this condition.

If a mother does develop full eclampsia, there is still treatment to bring it under control, but sometimes, even after delivery of the baby (which is usually the cure) the mother can still suffer further complications.

Of course the main problem for medical practitioners is that the precise cause or catalyst of eclampsia is unknown. For the moment it can only be treated when initial symptoms present.

Usually, the baby has to be delivered immediately, if both lives are to be saved.

A useful address is :

Action On Pre-Eclampsia
33-35 College Road
Harrow
Middlesex
HA1 1EJ
United Kingdom