Yes, high blood pressure during pregnancy can harm your baby. High blood pressure during pregnancy can have serious consequences for both the mother and the fetus. If this condition is not diagnosed in a timely manner, both the mother and the fetus are at risk of serious complications.
High blood pressure during pregnancy can damage the paired arteries, which can cause decreased blood and oxygen supply to the fetus and slow down its growth. Sometimes, high blood pressure during pregnancy is uncontrollable, and doctors are forced to terminate the pregnancy and deliver the premature fetus.
These infants are at risk, as some of their organs, such as the lungs and digestive system, are not yet fully developed, and as a result, they may be vulnerable to injury. To complete the development of their organs, they must be kept in the neonatal intensive care unit. The presence of the fetus in the neonatal intensive care unit in such cases is often long-term and sometimes lasts up to 20 days, which, in addition to problems for the mother and infant, imposes a high cost on families.
The maternal and fetal consequences of high blood pressure during pregnancy depend on factors such as the mother’s age at the time of delivery, the severity of the disease, the quality of care and treatment, and the presence of other diseases.
High blood pressure during pregnancy can cause disseminated intravascular coagulation, intracranial hemorrhage, kidney failure, retinal detachment, pulmonary edema (accumulation of fluid in the lung tissue), liver rupture, paired separation, premature birth, fetal distress, and death.
Preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure after the 20th week of pregnancy that is accompanied by protein excretion in urine samples, can also harm your baby. Preeclampsia is associated with signs of damage to other organ systems, including the kidneys, liver, blood or brain. Untreated preeclampsia can lead to serious – even fatal -complications for mother and baby. Complications may include eclampsia, in which seizures develop. If you have high blood pressure during pregnancy, working with your doctor to manage it and protect your baby’s health is important.
High blood pressure and pregnancy: Know the facts – Mayo Clinic
