Preeclampsia is pregnancy-associated hypertension. Since it is a condition caused by carrying a baby, delivering the baby is the only cure. It effects up to 8 percent of all pregnant women in their second or third trimesters in the United States.

If preeclampsia is not caught early through regular prenatal visits, the mother is at serious risk of fatality.

Symptoms of preeclampsia include:

• Severe headaches, most often occurring in the back of the head 
• Swelling of the hands and face 
• Pain in the upper abdomen 
• Nausea 
• Sudden weight gain 
• Blood pressure higher than 140 over 90

Since some of the above symptoms can occur during normal pregnancies, it is important to have a doctor monitoring the pregnant woman during regular office visits. A doctor will be able to determine if a pregnant woman is at risk for preeclampsia through testing blood pressure and looking for proteins in urine samples.

Preeclampsia was previously referred to as toxemia. Bed rest, which lowers blood pressure and increases the flow of blood to the placenta, can often manage preeclampsia.

If properly treated, pregnant women with preeclampsia can deliver their babies without major side effects. If preeclampsia is untreated, it can lead to eclampsia, which can cause seizers and strokes.

Doctors say that pregnant women, who are older or younger, are at higher risk for preeclampsia. Women who are pregnant for the first time, pregnant with multiples, have a history of high-blood pressure, have a history of diabetes or obese are also at a high risk for preeclampsia. There is currently no known cause of preeclampsia.

If your child, or the child of a loved one, has suffered birth defects or birth trauma as a result from improper guidance or diagnosis by their doctor, contact a preeclampsia attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced birth trauma lawyer will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.

Obesity during pregnancy may be a contributing factor to birth trauma and birth defects, such as spina bifida.

Many consider it normal for women to gain excess weight during pregnancy. It is assumed that women should eat more and rest. This can lead to excess weight gain, much more than what is healthy during pregnancy.

Pregnant women should only increase their calorie intake by 100 to 300 extra calories.

Obesity during pregnancy can contribute to other serious ailments, such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or caesarean section. Babies of obese mothers may suffer from jaundice, hypoglycemia or respiratory distress syndrome.

Birth defects may consist of spina bifida, heart defects, anorectal atresia and birth trauma. Birth trauma can lead to brain damage, cerebral palsy, erb’s palsy or shoulder dystocia.

It is imperative to follow a doctor’s direction regarding weight. In turn, it is imperative for doctors to monitor and encourage the proper weight for pregnant mothers.

If your child, or the child of a loved one, has suffered birth defects or birth trauma as a result from improper guidance by their doctor, contact a birth defect attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced birth trauma lawyer will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.