Pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes can have consequences that extend well beyond childbirth, increasing a woman's risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life.
Although both conditions require close medical attention during pregnancy, their long-term effects are often overlooked once a woman has delivered.
According to Alfred Kairithia, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, pre-eclampsia is a hypertensive disorder that typically develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy. It can affect organs such as the kidneys and liver and become life-threatening if not managed promptly.
“Pre-eclampsia is a serious blood pressure condition that develops during pregnancy. People with the condition often have high blood pressure and high levels of protein in their urine. This happens when proteins such as albumin, which are normally found in the blood, leak into the urine because the kidneys are no longer preventing it,” says Dr Kairithia.
Diagnosis involves measuring blood pressure and conducting tests to check for signs of organ dysfunction. Since some women experience no obvious symptoms, regular antenatal visits are essential.
Keep Reading
- Motherhood and mental pain: Kenya's overlooked crisis
- Why antenatal care remains best defence against preeclampsia
- Every minute counts: The fight against Postpartum Haemorrhage
- Hidden heart threats women face through life
Warning signs include persistent or severe headaches, blurred vision, upper abdominal pain, sudden swelling of the face or hands, nausea and difficulty breathing. Women experiencing these symptoms during pregnancy or after delivery should seek urgent medical attention.
In severe cases, pre-eclampsia can cause seizures, stroke and organ damage. It may also necessitate premature delivery or restrict a baby's growth if the placenta is not functioning properly.
However, the risks do not end with childbirth. Women who experience pre-eclampsia face an increased likelihood of developing chronic hypertension, heart disease and stroke later in life. Their pregnancy history should therefore remain an important part of future cardiovascular risk assessments.
“Women who experience pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension or gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. Their pregnancy history should remain part of their medical records and inform future preventive care,” adds Dr Kairithia.
This does not mean every woman who develops these complications will eventually suffer from heart disease. Rather, it underscores the need for continued monitoring and preventive care after delivery.
Another pregnancy complication with potential long-term consequences is gestational diabetes, which develops when blood sugar levels rise during pregnancy to levels that meet the criteria for diabetes.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy can interfere with how the body uses insulin, making it difficult to regulate blood glucose levels.
Risk factors include being overweight, having a family history of diabetes, previous gestational diabetes and having delivered a large baby. However, the condition can also develop in women without any of these risk factors.
Gestational diabetes may not cause noticeable symptoms, making routine screening important. When poorly controlled, it can lead to excessive foetal growth, difficult delivery and high blood pressure. Babies may also experience low blood sugar shortly after birth.
Although blood sugar levels often return to normal after delivery, women who have had gestational diabetes face a substantially higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in future.
This makes postpartum care particularly important. Women who have experienced pre-eclampsia should continue monitoring their blood pressure, while those who had gestational diabetes should undergo diabetes testing, commonly between four and 12 weeks after delivery, followed by periodic screening.
Lifestyle changes can also help reduce future cardiovascular risks. These include eating a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, getting adequate sleep, avoiding tobacco and maintaining a healthy weight.
Pregnancy complications should therefore not be treated as conditions whose effects end at delivery. Instead, they should serve as important indicators of a woman's future health, informing medical care long after childbirth.