Pre-eclampsia or preeclampsia is a medical condition characterized by high blood pressure and significant amounts of protein in the urine of a pregnant woman.

Pre-eclampsia may develop any time after twenty weeks gestation (it is considered early onset before 32 weeks, which is associated with increased risk or morbidity). Its progress differs among patients; most cases are diagnosed before labor. Pre-eclampsia may also occur up to six weeks after delivery.

Apart from Caesarean section and induction of labor (and therefore delivery of the placenta), there is no known cure. It is the most common of the dangerous pregnancy complications; it may affect both the mother and fetus.

If pre-eclampsia is left untreated, it can lead to eclampsia, a disease that can cause seizures, stroke, brain herniation and other life-threatening injuries. It is universally viewed as a pregnancy complication that can lead to severe and even fatal birth injuries to mother or child.

If you or a loved one has suffered from pre-eclampsia and suspect that medical malpractice may have played a role, please contact our office and speak with a member of the firm. The applicable statute of limitations is likely already running, so timing can be critically important to your case. Contact us today for a free, no obligation, confidential legal consultation.

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