I found this small write up about pre-eclampsia in Pregnancy
magazine. I found it at my OB's office and thought it might be
of interest. Scientists Identify Cause of Pre-Eclampsia "Recent
research shows how development of the placenta during pregnancy
could cause the potentially life-threatening condition pre-
eclampsia in some women. Pre-eclampsia, affecting up to 10
percent of pregnancies each year, starts in the second half of
pregnancy. It causes high blood pressure and protein in the
urine of the mother, which could lead to fits and even death for
the mother and baby. The only "cure" for pre-eclampsia is to
give birth to the baby. A team from the University of Reading in
the United Kingdom found that in pregnancies where the blood
supply to the placenta is developed improperly (usually around
20 weeks), the placenta starts to produce large quantities of
the hormone neurokinin B. Thie hormone seems to be inactive in
the fetus. But the researchers discovered it was processed
differently in the mother's bloo