Beyonce Says She Had Toxemia During Her Pregnancy With Her Twins. Here ’s What That Means

Beyonce revealed that she experienced toxemia, also known as preeclampsia, while she was pregnant with her twins, Sir and Rumi. The condition left her swollen and put her on bed rest for more than a month. In an interview in the September issue of Vogue, the entertainer said that the condition led to an emergency Cesarean section, which required the twins to spend weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Here’s what you should know about toxemia, aka preeclampsia. What is preeclampsia, and why is it also called toxemia? About 5% of pregnant women will get preeclampsia while expecting — usually toward the end of the pregnancy, after 37 weeks or so. It can be a sign that the placenta, the critical source of nutrients for the growing baby, is not functioning properly and may even be detaching from the uterus. (Poor blood flow to the uterus could be a contributing factor.) That’s why doctors often prescribe bed rest. Toxemia is a broader term referring to unknown toxins that might be causing a medical condition. And since a sign of preeclampsia can be higher levels of protein in the urine, some doctors refer to this type of preeclampsia as preeclampsia toxemia. Some women only develop higher blood pressure during pregnancy; this is referred to as pregnancy-induced hypertension, which is a different condition from preeclampsia. What are the symptoms of preeclampsia? Women with the condition develop high blood pressure, swelling in the hands, feet and le...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthytime Reproductive Health Source Type: news