possible prevention of pre-eclamsia

[danielle938]

June 2002, the results of the Magpie Trial, based in Oxford were announced. These showed that treatment with an injection of magnesium sulphate (the same chemical as in 'Epsom salts') can halve the risk of pre-eclampsia progressing into eclampsia. This cheap, safe and widely available treatment could now save the lives of many women around the world.
(i think this is great news and will be asking for this at my anti natal visit)

danielle 20
father 26
****** 12-augast-o1 2lb 4oz in hospital for 8 weeps ,severe pre-e @ 28weeks
now 10 weeks pregnant very scared

england

[laura]

Danielle--thanks for posting this info! A lot of us complain about the mag, but I think often we lose sight of how well it prevents something worse from happening.

When you had your teeny babe, did they give you any anti-convulsant meds to help keep you from getting worse? In the US, if the doctors think that your preeclampsia is so bad that you may develop seizures (don't they call them "fits" over on that end of the pond? [:)] ) they will give iv magnesium sulfate to prevent preeclampsia from developing into eclampsia. It has some nasty side effects, and you're pretty much bedridden when stuck on it, but it is very effective at preventing seizures.

It's a pretty inexpensive drug, but unfortunately, it's not available everywhere in the world, and many women are needlessly dying from a lack of being treated with magnesium sulfate. That's something that's an international concern- the cost of treating a woman with severe preeclampsia with mag costs only around $5, but still it's not always available. That's so sad, and so unnecessary!

Laura
Moderator/AK Coordinator

Mom to Alicia (severe PE) 5/98 and Camille (htn, oligo) 4/03
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/c/camilleandallie/

[browncow]

I was given Versed for the seizures I had when HELLP/Preeclampsia culminated in an emergency c-section at 29 weeks. Versed causes short-term memory loss, ostensibly to erase the trauma of emergency surgery but it lingered with me for a few weeks post-partum.

I could vividly recall childhood events but stood in front of the toaster without a clue on how to make toast (despite having done so for over three decades).

My daughter spent one month in the hospital and I was so scared of forgetting something per her care once she came home that I left a trail of post-it notes around the house anytime a memory or moment of clarity came to me.