Testing to detectect Preeclampsia sooner

     For my last post I will be discussing studies that have been done by doctors and the Preeclampsia Foundation to help detect cognitive difficulties post-partum, genetics, and test screenings for early detection of the disease. After I got past my Preeclampsia I continued to have problems with my blood pressure, weight, and cognitive memory. The Preeclampsia Foundation along with many doctors from the Netherlands to the university of Washington conducted a study with 1,000 participants assessing cognitive function based on an online survey. Many formerly preeclamptic women report difficulties with memory or word choice and they wanted to figure out if there are changes in the brain from the disease or the trauma of the disease itself. The study found that women with a history of preeclampsia scored significantly lower in all three assessments.

 "More and more information is emerging suggesting that preeclampsia is a condition with long term implications," explained the lead author on the study, Dr. Ineke Postma. "Preeclampsia can be a very emotional and sometimes traumatizing experience with some women complaining about ongoing memory or attention-deficit problems. In order to provide adequate long term support to preeclampsia survivors, we need to identify the actual scope of the problem. This study is an important step in that direction."

In another study, 147 sisters, 248 daughters, 74 granddaughters, and 131 daughter-in-laws who have had preeclampsia or eclampsia have found that this disease is highly inheritable. They did a single gene condition and multifactorial condition and found that the single gene condition with frequency of putative gene by .25.

Dr.Vesna Garovic (Mayo Clinic) studied the use of urinary podocytes as a test for preeclampsia, Podocytes are cells which line the blood vessels in the kidneys and act as filters which keep protein in the bloodstream. Their loss allows protein to spill into the urine, one of the primary signs of preeclampsia.They used 267 women and collected urine between 25-28 weeks gestation and 15 women went on to develop preeclampsia and all had podocytes in their system.



Works cited:
 http://www.preeclampsia.org/component/lyftenbloggie/2011/12/04/116-podocytes-and-the-big-story

http://www.preeclampsia.org/component/lyftenbloggie/2012/04/04/126-could-preeclampsia-affect-your-brain

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1986.tb08006.x/abstract

Vision Research and Brain Affects

  So as you already know, part of the diagnosis of Preeclampsia is protein found in the urine. It is also found in the placenta and blood levels. A Stanford University professor, Dr. Nihar R. Nayak and his team are doing research to better understand the role of certain placental proteins in the development of Preeclampsia.  His 2011 Vision Grant Research Project main goal is to find how proteins act in the placenta during Preeclampsia and used a mouse model system while testing various therapeutic approaches to Preeclampsia. His team also developed a way to study how genes act in the placentas of mice. Genes play an important role in placental development during pregnancy. Their hope is that with these new discoveries that this will be a better way to see and identify abnormal genes which will in return, help researchers learn about why protein levels tend to be higher in a Preeclampsia pregnancy than a normal pregnancy.

A protein called sFlt-1 is found in the blood at a higher level when a woman has preeclampsia. Understanding this protein will have a direct impact on the design of  clinical therapies for Preeclampsia. They are testing this on the mice by completely removing the sFlt-1 protein from the placenta by telling it to not make this protein at all. Another protein called VEGF also acts in higher levels during a preeclamptic pregnancy.

The study should be concluded at the end of the year and sent off for publication.

Next time I'll discuss National preeclampsia month and can preeclampsia affect the mother's brain too?







Works Cited:

Administrator. "Vision Grant Researcher Reports Successful Methodology to Study Placental Proteins." Vision Grant Researcher Reports Successful Methodology to Study Placental Proteins. Preeclampsia Foundation, 30 Sept. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. <http://www.preeclampsia.org/component/lyftenbloggie/2012/09/30/152-vision-grant-researcher-reports-successful-methodology-to-study-placental-proteins>.

Taking chances, and finding hope.

Okay, so I know in my last post I gave you a bit of a cliff hanger on magnesium and it's usage on preventing seizures for the mother's with preeclampsia, but I recently read a story and I had to share it. A soldier from Gladewater, Texas was coming home from his tour because his wife had serious Preeclampsia and had to have an emergency c-section at 34 weeks gestation. Heather Brown slipped into a coma shortly after birth and has yet to wake up. The Brown's have been married for 10 years and have been trying for 6 years to have a child. Heather was diagnosed with Preeclampsia at 20 weeks gestation and now John (Husband) is taking care of the baby while Heather is still in a coma. Before Heather had the baby though, she tied yellow ribbons around her yard and house to support her husband while on tour and now he doesn't plan on taking those ribbons down until his wife is home and well. Now the town of Gladewater and supporters from all over the country and adopting the yellow ribbon's in support of the family. As I think about this and how it could've been someone else or even me, I decided to dig deeper into the blood pressure side of it seeing as that's probably the scariest part of the disease.

This family has been through a worst case scenario when it comes to preeclampsia and I feel that more research and time should be invested in finding an effective cure for preeclampsia without effecting the mother or child. This disease is one to not be taken lightly, and I wish nothing but good wishes, prayers, and hope for the Brown family and I'm thankful there are towns like Gladewater around that actually care about a family in need. 

We already know what Preeclampsia can do to the mother, but could any of that effect the baby and their growth and development? Well, researchers in Finland found that adult males who were born to mother's with complicated pregnancies that involved high blood pressure were just not as smart as other men. The men in the study were tested at 20 and 69, and performed worse in arithmetic reasoning and total cognitive ability at both ages as opposed to men whose mothers' pregnancies were normal. It's the mother's blood stream that delivers oxygen and nutrition to the fetus, so when the mother's blood pressure rises, that could effect cognitive development.

Works Cited:

Stephanie. "Pregnancy Blood Pressure -- Baby Brain - Parenting.com." Parenting.com. Parenting, 05 Oct. 2012. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://www.parenting.com/blogs/show-and-tell/stephanie-parenting/study-high-blood-pressure-pregnancy-may-effect-babys-brain?src=twitter>.

 Yeakely, Richard. "Gladewater Goes Yellow to Support the Browns." Longview News-Journal. News Journal, 21 Oct. 2012. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://www.news-journal.com/news/local/gladewater-goes-yellow-to-support-brown-family/article_48ef7d90-f5ab-59ae-94b2-30cd4549cad0.html>.


  

Pre-Eclampsa-what?! A Medical Breakdown

So since you now my own history and passion for Preeclampsia I may start giving you what I know you're just dying for and that's the medical facts and some medical research. For starters, back in the day Preeclampsia was called Toxemia and is a disease found in pregnant women typically in their 2nd or 3rd trimester of gestation of high blood pressure (140/90) and protein found in the urine. This causes swelling in the feet, legs, and hands and is a severe risk for the mother and baby and a rare risk cause deaths. The reason why it's called PRE-Eclampsia is because this happens before the baby is born and after the baby is born within the first 24 hours the mother will end up getting Eclampsia and have seizures. Sadly, there is no other way to cure Preeclampsia except to deliver the child which is risky if the baby is not fully developed. The real way OB/GYN doctors are preventing any further damage is regular visits to the doctor and knowing the symptoms as well as a healthy diet.

Along with high blood pressure and protein there are many other symptoms of Preeclampsia which includes, loss of blood flow to the uterus, improper functioning placenta, severe headaches, dizziness, rapid weight gain, sudden change in vision (or floaters), abdominal pain, and organ failure.

Since there has yet to be a true reason or cause for catching Preeclampsia doctors can see trends and certain ties to this unsolved puzzle. Poor nutrition, higher body fat percent, history of high blood pressure, and bad blood flow to the uterus are certain causes that contribute to Preeclampsia. Typically these cases are seen in first time mothers, teen mothers, obese women, pregnant women over the age of 40, previous cases in mother or sister, and possibly genetics. Having a history of Lupus and Rheumatoid arthritis have also been considered as certain medical conditions that could effect Preeclampsia. A study done by the Department of obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine says that a number of reports indicated that Preeclampsia is associated with elevated blood levels of Lipid Peroxidation products. In view of it's destructive characteristics lipid peroxidation might contribute to pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

So to break it down, this stuff can be no joke to not only the mother's body but the babies as well. It can be prevented long enough to have a full term baby, but usually after 32 weeks gestation the blood pressure gets too risky for the doctor's.  Just remember what I said in my second post that there are     76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths each year around the world. What if you had this disease and didn't even know it? What kind of elements could help subside the effects of pre-eclampsia? I'll show you in my next post!

Work Cited:

 "Lipid Peroxidation in Pregnancy: New Perspectives on Preeclampsua." Lipid Peroxidation in Pregnancy: New Perspectives on Preeclampsia. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/2679100/reload=0;jsessionid=T92JPKDvx0BDc1gbV0Jx.6>.

 "Preeclampsia & Eclampsia: Risk Factors, Signs & Symptoms, and Treatment." WebMD. WebMD, 01 Jan. 0000. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/preeclampsia-eclampsia>.

My story on pre-eclampsia.

Before I started this assignment, I wanted to post on why this is important for me and how serious I take my studying on pre-eclampsia. I decided on this disease as my topic for many reasons, even beyond the science of it. When I was pregnant I developed pre-eclampsia and was diagnosed by my OB/GYN at 28 weeks gestation. I suddenly gained 15 pounds, my blood pressure was on the high side, and protein was found in a urine sample I gave that morning. My doctor was concerned but was not 100% on it so he decided to compose a 24 hour urine analysis and advised me to read up on it when I was home. I was horrified at what the disease was calling it a rapidly progressive disease as well as the leading cause of maternal and infant deaths. The worst part that I read on was the only way to "cure" pre-eclampsia is to deliver the baby and nothing else. The rest of my pregnancy I couldn't enjoy it because I was too busy being a lab rat. Going to a doctor twice a week, taking steroid shots to help kick start my child's lung development once a week, getting blood work and urine samples done twice a week, and I was on strict bed rest orders as well as on a strict no salt diet.
    I was tired and broken down, all I could do is hope that all this effort and pain would be worth it. I would deliver early, but I thought at least that my son would be healthy and I at least got to experience the labor and delivery like a normal mother. Within a matter of weeks I was continuing gaining 15-20 pounds a week, I was swollen from head to toe, my blood pressure was through the roof, I had constant headaches, and my vision even changed dramatically. My doctor and I were planning to induce me at 37 weeks, but my blood pressure as well as my doctor was not having that after week 34. I had to be induced and my son was born 6 1/2 weeks early. My son was not breathing on his own and he had to be taken to NICU and hooked up to a breathing machine. I couldn't see him for the first 24 hours because I was being monitored just in case a seizure or Eclampsia happened to me. Seeing my little guy hooked up to wires and IV and a breathing machine made me feel horrible. The NICU doctor said his left lung collapsed during birth, he developed RSV and pneumonia. He had a huge indent in his chest right in the middle from the collapsed lung. My son was in NICU for a little over a month and he motivates me to make sure that I do my best to never get that disease again.
     76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths happen every year because of pre-eclampsia. I hope that doing this blog will not only be just for a project for my class, but hopefully understand the disease a bit better myself. I also want to inform as many people as I can to evaluate their lifestyle before getting pregnant. What my son and I went through for 3 months because of pre-eclampsia was so hard on us and I never wish that kind of events on my worst enemy.

Verification of blog.

This is to verify that I have started my blog and my research on pre-eclampsia disease.

http://www.preeclampsia.org/