12 measures to help pregnant mothers prevent pre-eclampsia

The application of measures to prevent pre-eclampsia helps pregnant mothers partly avoid the risk of facing this dangerous pregnancy complication. 

Health experts estimate that about 6-8% of pregnant women have pre-eclampsia. You can limit your risk by minimizing your risk factors. In this article, aFamilyToday Health introduces you to 12 preventive measures for pre-eclampsia.

What is preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is a serious medical syndrome that develops in the second half of pregnancy (about after 20 weeks of pregnancy). This is a dangerous pregnancy complication due to high blood pressure and damage to some organs like the kidneys.

The blood pressure of pregnant mothers is considered to be high when the blood pressure index is ≥ 140 / 90mmHg. High blood pressure is a sign of pre-eclampsia syndrome, but a slight increase in blood pressure can also be a warning sign.

The fact that pregnant mothers have pre-eclampsia, if not treated promptly, can lead to eclampsia, causing dangerous complications for both mother and baby.

Tell mothers to elect 12 measures to help prevent pre-eclampsia

To be able to limit the risk of pre-eclampsia, pregnant mothers should take the following measures:

1. Exercise regularly

There are many benefits to doing regular exercise with moderate intensity. The benefits include: maintaining a healthy weight, strengthening the immune system, reducing inflammation, boosting the body to fight stress, having a healthy pregnancy, reducing the risk of pregnancy complications, among which have pre-eclampsia.

2. Prevent dehydration

In addition to drinking enough water (about 8 glasses / day), pregnant mothers need to limit the consumption of caffeinated beverages and alcohol. The reason is that these drinks increase the frequency of urination, which can cause dehydration.

3. Get enough sleep

Every day, pregnant mothers should sleep 8 hours or more. In addition, you should take advantage of napping at noon to relax body and mind.

4. Periodic pregnancy check-up

Pregnant mothers should comply with periodic pregnancy check-ups or go to a doctor as soon as they notice signs of abnormalities (severe abdominal pain, blurred vision, rapid breathing, excessive fatigue ...) to promptly detect any risk factors. Come on.

Usually, every time you have prenatal check-up, your doctor will conduct blood pressure tests, urine protein tests, blood tests ... to assess whether you are at risk of pre-eclampsia or not.

If you have someone in your family with HELLP syndrome , preeclampsia or some other high blood pressure disorder, you should let your doctor know so your blood pressure and urine should be monitored during pregnancy.

5. Have a healthy diet

High blood pressure is one of the causes of preeclampsia. To prevent high blood pressure, you should eat bland, eat more foods rich in potassium, avoid taking potassium in supplement form.

You should eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to help provide enough essential nutrients and high amounts of electrolytes, including potassium. Avocado, banana, sweet potato, cucumber ... are the foods that you should prioritize to prevent pre-eclampsia.

6. Maintain a healthy weight

Being overweight and obesity not only adversely affects hormones and metabolism of pregnant mothers, but can also worsen inflammation. All of these are associated with an increased risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) , one of the leading causes of death.

To have a healthy pregnancy, it is important that you have a healthy body weight. Therefore, before conception and during pregnancy, you should eat nutritious foods and proper physical activity to have a good shape.

7. Recognize dangerous signs and symptoms

Fluid retention (edema), high blood pressure, and excess protein in the urine are some of the signs of pre-eclampsia that should be on the lookout.

8. Vitamin D

Make sure to spend about 20 minutes of outdoor activity every day so that your body maintains the vitamin D level it needs.

In addition, you should talk to your obstetrician for a vitamin D supplement if needed.

9. Supplement essential vitamins and minerals for the body

To compensate for the deficiency of nutrients in the diet, pregnant mothers can take vitamin supplements containing many vitamins and minerals, including: vitamins C, B, E; folic acid, iron, iodine, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium ...

For the health of pregnant mothers, B vitamins are very important to increase fertility and get rid of morning sickness. Meanwhile, citrus fruit is a rich source of vitamins C and E, helping to increase resistance ...

10. Use herbs

Garlic, grape seed extract, raspberry leaf, parsley, sunflower, lacquer (hawthorn) ... are herbs that help prevent pre-eclampsia effectively.

You can use them as herbal tea or as an ingredient for some dishes, cakes. However, pregnant mothers should consult with their doctor about dosage as well as how to use them to ensure safety.

11. Dental examination

Many experts have suspected that bleeding gums during pregnancy and other oral problems could be linked to pre-eclampsia. If you have dental problems before and during pregnancy, you should definitely treat them.

To ensure your oral health, you should brush your teeth regularly to eliminate the bacteria that cause dental problems.

12. Salt bath (Epsom salt)

A bath with Epsom salt not only replenishes magnesium, is good for the skin, but also helps reduce pregnancy stress.

Green leafy vegetables, nuts good for pregnant women, nuts, beans, fish, avocados ... are magnesium-rich foods that pregnant mothers should add to the diet.

Pre-eclampsia is quite common in women who are first pregnant. Therefore, you should strictly adhere to the antenatal check-up schedule, go to the doctor immediately when there are abnormal signs, maintain a healthy diet and activities. In addition, to ensure the health of pregnancy, pregnant mothers should not use alcohol, minimize caffeine drinks.