Signs and symptoms of preeclampsia

Observable signs & symptoms

Many of the early signs of preeclampsia are ones you’d normally face with any pregnancy – headaches, nausea, and abdominal or back pain. Luckily, your doctor is very familiar with preeclampsia and will be testing for it regularly.

Some unique symptoms of preeclampsia are rapid weight gain (more than 5 pounds per week), blurred vision, swelling in the face, hands or feet, and experiencing shortness of breath and anxiety. These symptoms typically present themselves quickly, and seemingly out of nowhere.

Preeclampsia can develop into eclampsia, which is characterized by seizures that can be very dangerous for you and for baby. If you notice that you seem to have several of the symptoms we’ve listed, it’s best to play it safe and talk to your doctor.

Clinical symptoms

When testing for preeclampsia, your doctor will look for an increase in blood pressure and the presence of protein in your urine, the traditional way to identify preeclampsia. Doctors don’t know what exactly causes preeclampsia, but there are definitely several negative outcomes that those with preeclampsia (and especially early-onset preeclampsia) are at risk for, such as pre-term birth.

Early onset preeclampsia is the less common, but more severe form of the disorder, and is estimated to occur in approximately 0.5% of all pregnancies. Until recently, there was no reliable way to detect early onset preeclampsia. PerkinElmer Labs/NTD has now developed a test service that will allow your doctor to detect early onset preeclampsia as early as your tenth week of pregnancy. You can read more about the PreeclampsiaScreen™ | T1 test here and learn more about your potential risk and what your doctor can do about it.

Clinical information

The PreeclampsiaScreen™ | T1 test will check for levels of three key indicators for early-onset preeclampsia: PAPP-A (pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A), AFP (alpha fetoprotein), and PlGF (placental growth factor). Together with other types of monitoring, the PreeclampsiaScreen™ | T1 can give your doctor a higher level of accuracy in assessing your risk for early onset preeclampsia.

Tap the button below to learn more about the PreeclampsiaScreen™ | T1 test and consider starting a conversation with your doctor about early onset preeclampsia screening.

Disclaimer: PreeclampsiaScreen™ | T1 test is a part of a lab service offering provided by PerkinElmer Labs/NTD. This test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by PerkinElmer Labs/NTD. It has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The methods and performance characteristics have been reviewed and approved by the New York State Department of Health.