High blood pressure develops in about 10% of all pregnancies in the United States.1
Preeclampsia occurs in about 5% of all pregnancies.2 In some populations and environments, higher rates have been reported. Preeclampsia most often affects women who:
- Are pregnant for the first time or have not been pregnant for 10 or more years.3
- Have a family history of preeclampsia.
- Are younger than 21 or older than 35.
- Are more than 20% over their ideal body weight. If your weight is within this range, the higher your prepregnancy body mass index, the greater your preeclampsia risk.4
- Do not see their doctors for prenatal checkups regularly.
Less than 1% of women with preeclampsia develop seizures (eclampsia).5
References
Citations
Duley L (2005). Pre-eclampsia and hypertension, search date November 2004. Online version of Clinical Evidence (14): 1776–1790.
Cunningham FG, et al. (2005). Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. In Williams Obstetrics, 22nd ed., pp. 761–808. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Skjaerven R, et al. (2002). The interval between pregnancies and the risk of preeclampsia. New England Journal of Medicine, 346(1): 33–38.
O'Brien TE, et al. (2003). Maternal body mass index and the risk of preeclampsia: A systematic overview. Epidemiology, 14(3): 368–374.
Habli M, Sibai BM (2008). Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. In RS Gibbs et al., eds., Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology, 10th ed., pp. 257–275. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Credits
| Author | Sandy Jocoy, RN |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Last Updated | November 14, 2008 |
