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

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>.