It's more than just high blood pressure: Understanding preeclampsia's domino effect

One night during week 33 of her pregnancy, Alex Herring had just returned from a walk with her 3-year-old son, Shane, when she started to feel woozy and lightheaded.

Alex had been diagnosed with gestational hypertension (i.e., high blood pressure in pregnancy) three weeks earlier, so she was already used to monitoring her numbers at home. When she took her blood pressure that night, her numbers were high: 153/110 mmHg (normal blood pressure is typically less than 120/80 mmHg). 

"I called the after-hours nurse and was advised to come into the hospital that night to be monitored," says Alex. By the time she made it to the hospital, her blood pressure had risen even higher. Her care team suspected preeclampsia, a high blood pressure disorder that can restrict blood flow to the developing baby and increase the risk of pregnancy complications. 

Alex spent the next five days in the hospital, monitoring her blood pressure every four hours and her baby's heart rate twice a day. But even after she was discharged, her experience with preeclampsia wasn't over yet. Discover how preeclampsia impacted Alex's pregnancy journey and how she's using her experience to encourage others and raise awareness. 

Discovering a domino effect of preeclampsia symptoms

After leaving the hospital, she continued to feel lightheaded and noticed her blood pressure remained high. During a regular check-up on week 34 of her pregnancy, Alex's care team detected another strong indicator of preeclampsia: traces of protein in her urine. 

Later that week, an ultrasound of Alex’s baby revealed more troubling signs. 

“High blood pressure can cause less blood flow to the placenta, which can prevent necessary nutrients from reaching the fetus, so my baby was smaller than he was supposed to be for that point of development,” she explains.

To keep a close eye on both her and her baby's health, Alex was admitted to the hospital again. She spent the next several days in her hospital room, feeling increasingly nervous about what might happen to her and her baby.

“Skating on a razor-thin edge” of preeclampsia complications

Alex ultimately delivered her baby boy via C-section at 35 weeks. Despite his tiny size (he only weighed 4 pounds and 7.6 ounces at birth), he was born healthy with no respiratory complications.

“He never ended up having to be in NICU,” says Alex. “The hospital staff dubbed him ‘tiny but mighty.’”

Raising awareness about preeclampsia

Today, Alex and her son are healthy, though Alex continues to take blood pressure medication. Looking ahead, Alex wants to raise awareness about preeclampsia, particularly the complications that can come with the condition.

"A lot of people thought I just had high blood pressure and didn't understand all of the health complications associated with preeclampsia," she says. "I had people tell me that all I needed to do was exercise more, have cold baths or eat more fruit and then I'd be just fine. People assumed it was bad dietary habits that led to me having to be hospitalized, but I learned quickly that no one really knows what causes preeclampsia. There's nothing that I did during pregnancy that 'caused' this to happen."

Alex also emphasizes the importance of a support network and the power of self-care and self-love.

"Everyone wants the smooth, uncomplicated, painless birth experience that's idealized on social media, but the truth is that every pregnancy is different, and every birth looks different," she says. "Things often happen outside of our control, and when they do, it's easy to blame yourself or feel inadequate as a mother. It's OK to be sad, but don't blame yourself unnecessarily. More than anything, your baby needs you to be healthy enough to care for them, so whatever you have to do to make that happen is the best thing you can do for you and your baby."

The need for early preeclampsia detection

Little is known about what causes preeclampsia and who will face complications, so early detection is crucial.

To help determine preeclampsia risk early in pregnancy, Labcorp offers a first trimester preeclampsia screening test. Given between 11 and 14 weeks into pregnancy, the first trimester screening test looks at a combination of maternal factors and biomarkers associated with blood pressure, fetal development and placental health to assess the risk of developing preeclampsia later in pregnancy. 

For prognostic confirmation of preeclampsia in hospitalized pregnant patients, Labcorp also offers an FDA-cleared second and third trimester preeclampsia test. Using biomarkers associated with blood vessel and fetal health, the test is given between 23 and 35 weeks' gestation to assess the risk of preeclampsia progressing to severe complications within the following two weeks.

Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication that affects 5% to 7% of pregnancies globally and is a leading cause of maternal illness and death. In the U.S., the risk is significantly higher for Black patients, who are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications compared to white patients.

Learn more about preeclampsia and Labcorp’s comprehensive preeclampsia testing solutions, and start a conversation with your healthcare provider.

Alex Herring is an employee of Labcorp. No compensation or remuneration of any kind was paid in connection with this story.