You asked
Can preeclampsia be prevented?
This question came from the comments on this video:
This placenta has infarcts .. this is how preeclampsia works from the insideNo, not completely. For people at high risk, low-dose aspirin started after week 12 lowers the risk, with calcium added if dietary calcium intake is low. Factors that put someone at high risk include prior preeclampsia, chronic high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney or autoimmune disease, and twin pregnancy. Blood pressure is checked at every prenatal visit.
Why does preeclampsia happen? No one could explain to me why it happened to me
The exact cause isn't known, and it isn't something you did wrong. The placenta has been studied most closely: when it does not connect properly to the arteries of the uterus, it receives less blood flow. As a result, blood pressure rises and organs like the kidneys and liver are affected. Symptoms usually ease once the baby is born.
I have a headache, blurred vision and swollen feet. Is that preeclampsia?
Not on their own. Preeclampsia requires high blood pressure after week 20, together with protein in the urine or other signs of organ damage. But a severe headache, blurred vision, and facial swelling are warning signs. With these symptoms, go to the emergency department that same day, without waiting for your appointment.
What tests should I ask my doctor for to catch it early, and how long should I be monitored?
No test predicts it with certainty. Screening involves a blood pressure check at every prenatal visit and a urine protein test when preeclampsia is suspected. Monitoring continues for six weeks after delivery, a period when most deaths related to high blood pressure in pregnancy occur. Having had preeclampsia raises your cardiovascular risk in the years ahead.
Micrograph: Ed Uthman, Renal corpuscle (PAS), CC BY-SA 2.0. Unmodified.
Where this comes from
- ACOG and SMFM: aspirin at 81 mg daily for people at high risk, started between weeks 12 and 28, preferably before week 16, and continued until delivery.
- USPSTF (grade B, 2021): low-dose aspirin after week 12 for people at high risk reduces preeclampsia and preterm birth, with no apparent harm.
- WHO: preeclampsia usually develops after week 20; prevention includes low-dose aspirin for women at high risk and calcium where dietary intake is low.
- NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, United Kingdom): accessed 2026-09-19
- US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF): accessed 2026-09-19
- ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists): accessed 2026-09-19
- NHS (National Health Service, United Kingdom): accessed 2026-09-19
- NICHD (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH): accessed 2026-09-19
This is educational content, meant to help you understand your body. It is not a medical consultation or a diagnosis, and it does not tell any particular person what to do. If something worries you, see a doctor you trust.