Pre-eclampsia explained

Pre-eclampsia usually develops after the middle of pregnancy, although it can appear around birth or after delivery. It may affect the kidneys, liver, brain, blood clotting system or placenta. Some people feel well, while others develop headache, visual symptoms, pain beneath the ribs, swelling or breathlessness.

Clinicians combine blood-pressure readings with urine checks, blood tests and assessment of the baby's growth and wellbeing. The condition is not caused by something you did, and symptoms alone cannot establish it. Care is tailored to the severity of findings and how pregnancy is progressing.

Keep every antenatal appointment and report new symptoms promptly. Your care may involve home or hospital blood-pressure checks, urine tests, blood tests, ultrasound monitoring and medicines. The team may recommend rest periods, but bed rest is not a substitute for medical monitoring.

Birth is the only treatment that ends the pregnancy-related process, but timing depends on your health and the baby's condition. Your team may plan induction or caesarean birth, while continuing observation when that is appropriate. See [Pre-eclampsia](/conditions/pre-eclampsia/) and [Antenatal Care Package](/treatments/pregnancy-and-birth-care/antenatal-care-package/).

Get urgent maternity advice for a severe headache that does not settle, blurred vision or flashing lights, severe upper-abdominal pain, sudden breathlessness, chest pain, a seizure, vaginal bleeding or noticeably reduced baby movements. These symptoms need immediate assessment rather than observation at home.

Ask which organs or tests need monitoring, which medicine symptoms should trigger a call, how often appointments are needed, and how the condition could influence birth planning and postnatal follow-up.