Doctors Closer to Cure for Deadly Pregnancy Disease

on February 8, 2012 at 11:46 AM

pregnant belly It used to drive me nuts when women told me their pregnancy horror stories when I was pregnant. I wanted to plug my ears and instead hear the whislting of birds and envision a beautifully serene labor that resulted in my adorable twins popping out in a rainbow of light. Still, it does help to be informed but just not in a freak-out kind of way. Which leads me to preeclampsia.

Nearly 100,000 women die each year from this deadly pregnancy disease, with up to 20 percent of pregnant women getting it. Yet the only cure is to 'terminate' the pregnancy, which means women who are diagnosed early often have to deliver very premature babies.

More needs to be done, and apparently researchers in Australia have made some new discoveries that could lead to better treatment or a cure so moms can have healthy pregnancies that go to term.

The scientists in Melbourne found that there is a toxin released by placenta that causes preeclampsia. This toxin is released from a molecule that sits on the placenta and "acts like a scissor", cutting it, causing the toxin to attack a woman's organs.

It's a scary thing when it happens -- I had severe preeclampsia/HELLP syndrome, and before I go on, if it's something you don't want to know about, now is the time to plug your eyes and cue the birds chirping. My blood pressure spiked and I was nearing seizure and stroke. Thankfully this came on late in my twin pregnancy -- 36 weeks -- and ending my pregnancy by delivering my babies by emergency c-section saved us all. Still, there are many women who weren't as lucky as I was.

Associate Professor Stephen Tong says the discovery of this toxin being released by the placenta is significant but treatment is still at least 10 years away. They need to create a drug to stop these so-called molecular scissors (Metalloproteinase 14 or MMP14) from slicing into the placenta. Apparently the "toxin" isn't dangerous to the mother if it stays in the placenta.

It seems as though many researchers are working hard toward a cure, which is fantastic because too many women I know have had this. There is a preeclampsia prediction test coming soon that helps detect it better than standard blood pressure checks. And many doctors encourage a special diet for women at risk. It's something I hope no woman ever has to go through and I'm so glad more is being done.

What do you think of the newest research on preeclampsia? Have you had it or know someone who has?

Image via David Boyle/Flickr

About the author Michele Zipp

loves vintage and will defend skinny jeans to the death though she is highly superstitious and "death" is probably a bad word choice. She has a touch of the hoarding disease and enjoys sleuthing, the worst reality shows, and wearing high heels, even at the playground. She's an AP mom of twins, slightly crunchy but with a pedicure.

Filed Under: complications, pregnancy health

Comments (7)

Nonmember comment from Brooke

on Feb 8, 2012 at 12:18 PM

Very promising! I had pre-e with both of my children, one delivered at 38 wks and the other at just 30 wks because the pre-e had also cause placental re

Report this comment

Nonmember comment from brooke

on Feb 8, 2012 at 12:20 PM

Sorry, stupid phone! It had caused placental rupture. I have been nervous about ever having more children, as they have no idea what brings it on. I've always been very healthy and an excellent weight even during pregnancy. I'm very excited about this research!

Nonmember comment from colleen

on Feb 8, 2012 at 1:19 PM

I am very happy to read this. I delivered my daughter via emergency c-section at 29 weeks due to severe pre-eclampsia. I was hospitalized at 28 weeks with it (immediately after going to the dr. w. symptoms), and probably began to have it around 26 weeks. I found a great blog by a woman who had Pre-e early on and then went on to have a totally healthy second pregnancy: http://pre-eclampsiasucks.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html Hope it helps anyone else considering a second pregnancy. I currently am and am pretty much taking all of her advice.

KATZMOM311

on Feb 8, 2012 at 2:23 PM

I honestly could cry reading this! This is what I have been praying so hard for. I was 23 weeks pregnant & had to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance. I had to deliver my daughter within 4 hours or we both would have died. She only weighed 10.2 ounces & was 10 inches long. She only lived for about 3 hours & then passed.

LKRachel

on Feb 8, 2012 at 2:35 PM

Katzmom- I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. Hopefully this research will be fruitful and that will not have to happen again to you or anyone.

hutchfam2007

on Feb 8, 2012 at 2:59 PM

Really wish they could figure this out quicker than "within the next 10 years..." more research is needed!!!!! more funding... I would like to know how the rates of pre-E have changed over the last 10 or 20 years.

JessLogansMommy

on Feb 8, 2012 at 5:06 PM

I'm not going to hold my breath on this one. I was doing a ton of research after having pre-e with my first pregnancy and it seems that they haven't made any significant advances on it. So they have a new possible theory, they are a long way off from using it. My treatment was the same thing they were doing 30 years ago, put me on magnesium and deliver the baby. Its scary to think even now, i almost died, my child almost died and women and babies are still dying depsite modern medical care.