Aspirin
Taking aspirin is associated with a 1 to 5% reduction in pre-eclampsia and a 1 to 5% reduction in premature births in women at high risk. The World Health Organization recommends low-dose aspirin for the prevention of pre-eclampsia in women at high risk and recommends it be started before 20 weeks of pregnancy. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends a low-dose regimen for women at high risk beginning in the 12th week. Benefits are less if started after 16 weeks.The more recent study ASPRE, besides its efficacy in identifying women suspected to develop pre-eclampsia, has also been able to demonstrate a strong drop in the rate of early pre-eclampsia (-82%) and preterm pre-eclampsia (-62%). The efficacy of aspirin is due to screening to identify high risk women, adjusted prophylaxis dosage (150 mg/day), timing of the intake (bedtime) and must start before week 16 of pregnancy. Physical activity
There is insufficient evidence to recommend either exercise or strict bedrest as preventive measures of pre-eclampsia. Smoking cessation
In low-risk pregnancies, the association between cigarette smoking and a reduced risk of pre-eclampsia has been consistent and reproducible across epidemiologic studies. High-risk pregnancies (those with pregestational diabetes, chronic hypertension, history of pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy, or multifetal gestation) showed no significant protective effect. The reason for this discrepancy is not definitively known; research supports speculation that the underlying pathology increases the risk of pre-eclampsia to such a degree that any measurable reduction of risk due to smoking is masked.
Pre-eclampsia is routinely screened during prenatal care.Recommendations for prevention include: aspirin in those at high risk, calcium supplementation in areas with low intake, and treatment of prior hypertension with medications. In those with pre-eclampsia, delivery of the baby and placenta is an effective treatment but full recovery can take days or weeks. When delivery becomes recommended depends on how severe the pre-eclampsia and how far along in pregnancy a woman is. Blood pressure medication, such as labetalol and methyldopa, may be used to improve the mothers condition before delivery. Magnesium sulfate may be used to prevent eclampsia in those with severe disease. Bed rest and salt intake have not been found to be useful for either treatment or prevention.Pre-eclampsia affects 2–8% of pregnancies worldwide. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (which include pre-eclampsia) are one of the most common causes of death due to pregnancy. They resulted in 46,900 deaths in 2015. Pre-eclampsia usually occurs after 32 weeks; however, if it occurs earlier it is associated with worse outcomes. Women who have had pre-eclampsia are at increased risk of heart disease and stroke later in life.The word "eclampsia" is from the Greek term for lightning. The first known description of the condition was by Hippocrates in the 5th century BC. Signs and symptoms
Oedema (especially in the hands and face) was originally considered an important sign for a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia. However, because oedema is a common occurrence in pregnancy, its utility as a distinguishing factor in pre-eclampsia is not high.