What Increases Your Risk

Risk factors for developing preeclampsia during pregnancy include:

• Chronic (ongoing) high blood pressure (hypertension).
• Chronic kidney disease.
• Disease of the blood vessels (vascular disease).
• Diabetes.
• High blood pressure in a past pregnancy, especially before week 34.
• Personal history of preeclampsia.
• Family history of preeclampsia.
• Obesity (more than 20% over ideal weight) at the time of conception. If your weight is within this range, the higher your prepregnancy body mass index, the greater your preeclampsia risk.⁷
• Multiple pregnancy (such as twins or triplets).
• First pregnancy ever, first-time pregnancy with current partner, or first pregnancy in the past 10 years.⁸
• Age younger than 21 or older than 35.
• Molar pregnancy.
• Fetal hydrops, which is caused by Rh sensitization or an infection in the uterus.
• Pregnancy from in vitro fertilization using donor eggs.⁹

Women with chronic high blood pressure have an increased risk of the premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall (placenta abruptio). This risk may increase when:

• A mother smokes during pregnancy.
• Preeclampsia develops in addition to chronic high blood pressure.
• A mother uses certain drugs, such as cocaine.
• There is an injury to the uterus, such as in a car accident or a fall.

Preeclampsia probably does not cause future high blood pressure. Instead, experts think that some women who have preeclampsia also have a higher-than-normal risk of chronic high blood pressure after pregnancy or later in life.¹