7 Healthcast: Pre-eclampsia

Pregnant women fear it. Pre-eclampsia threatens both mother and unborn child. It often leads to premature delivery or emergency c-section and it can be fatal.

Dr. Myles Wolf, Mass General Hospital
"Worldwide it 's the leading cause of death for fetuses and their mothers related to pregnancy."

Right now it can only be diagnosed when symptoms appear which is late in pregnancy. But this researcher, at Mass General Hospital, has found a way to detect it much earlier.

Dr. Myles Wolf
"We did a simple blood test on women who were at their obstetrician for their first prenatal visit, when a blood test is routine."

They studied the blood of a wide population of pregnant women. They found a protein that was an early sign of the disease.

There currently is no cure for pre-eclampsia except for delivery, so what's the benefit of identifying the disease early? Those women could be hospitalized, given them and their babies the best chance for survival.

Until an early test is perfected, here are some warning signs for pregnant women:

• Blurry vision
• Stomach pains near the liver
•  Headache
• Fatigue

A pregnant woman who's experiencing a cluster of these symptoms should immediately call the doctor.

Pre-eclampsia happens in about 7% of all pregnancies. That's more than 200,000 women in the US, every year. It's most common in women having their first child.