Being pregnant can take a lot out of you. In this circumstance, staying healthy is your best option. It is also important to keep up to date with the latest news and research on pregnancy. This can help woman to feel more involved in the process and shed light on medical treatments that can help the growth and health of your baby.
Scientists at King's College in London have devised a new test that can accurately predict which women will have healthy pregnancies and which will get pre-eclampsia. This potentially fatal condition can also lead to kidney and liver damage, blood clotting and seizures.
It's tricky to diagnose so anything that can help is good news. Every year this condition is responsible for the deaths of 7 to 10 women in the UK and over 1,000 babies, and it's also responsible for a quarter of all premature births. Anyone who's previously suffered from pre-eclampsia or has chronic high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disorder or migraines is at increased risk.
Those who are also obese and outside the age range of 18 to 40 are more susceptible as well. Yet it also affects one in 20 first pregnancies, including those in healthy women. The new test can assess a woman's risk accurately according to certain factors.