Can pre-eclampsia be prevented?

Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy condition involving raised blood pressure and signs that organs or the placenta are under strain. It can occur even when someone feels well, which is why blood-pressure measurements and urine checks remain valuable throughout antenatal care.

Risk may be higher with a previous affected pregnancy, chronic high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, a multiple pregnancy or certain first-pregnancy circumstances. A clinician should assess the full history rather than relying on any single factor.

Attend antenatal appointments from early pregnancy and tell the maternity team about previous pregnancy complications and long-term health conditions. Take blood-pressure or other prescribed medicines exactly as directed. Some people are offered low-dose aspirin based on their risk profile; start, change or stop it only with maternity guidance.

Keep any requested home blood-pressure record, but do not let a home reading delay care for warning symptoms. Balanced meals, appropriate movement, avoiding smoking and managing existing conditions support general pregnancy health, yet they cannot replace clinical monitoring or medicine recommended for a specific risk.

Contact your maternity unit urgently for a severe or persistent headache, blurred vision or flashing lights, strong pain beneath the ribs, sudden swelling of the face or hands, vomiting with feeling very unwell, breathing difficulty, or a noticeable reduction in your baby's usual movements.

Call emergency services for a seizure, collapse, severe breathlessness, confusion or loss of consciousness. These symptoms require assessment regardless of whether the latest routine check was normal.

Ask which factors shape your personal risk, whether preventive aspirin is appropriate, what blood-pressure range should trigger a call, and whom to contact outside clinic hours. If pre-eclampsia develops, ask how monitoring protects you and your baby and what circumstances might lead to induction of labour or a caesarean section.