Os impactos da pré-eclâmpsia na saúde materna e fetal

Abstract

Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the hypertensive syndromes of pregnancy with one of the highest incidences in Brazil. The exact etiology of this condition has not yet been fully elucidated, making it essential to understand its pathogenesis to guide the long-term prophylactic control of risk factors. It is characterized by elevated blood pressure after the 20th week of gestation and is commonly accompanied by proteinuria, causing various implications for both the mother and the baby. This disorder affects about 10% of pregnancies, making it quite relevant to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality; therefore, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment during prenatal care are fundamental. This study aims to understand the impacts of PE on maternal and fetal health. It is a narrative literature review in which material was selected through a search for scientific studies in electronic databases such as LILACS, Scielo, Google Scholar, BDENF, and MEDLINE covered by the Virtual Health Library (BVS) platform. The analysis revealed that extremes of age are significant risk factors for the development of the disease and that women with PE had higher average ages, with advanced maternal age being statistically significant for PE. Most pregnant women were of white ethnicity and had completed secondary education. PE was the most prevalent hypertensive syndrome of pregnancy (HSP), with some newborns (NB) experiencing complications such as hypoglycemia, respiratory distress, and perinatal hypoxia, leading to cases of death. Direct obstetric causes, such as HSP, were the second leading cause of maternal deaths. It was also identified that primiparity, chronic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and advanced age are risk factors for PE. Cesarean sections were associated with higher rates of prematurity and low birth weight. Severe PE was linked to adverse perinatal outcomes such as intrauterine growth restriction, fetal death, prematurity, low birth weight, and the need for neonatal resuscitation. In many studies, PE was the leading cause of admissions to maternal ICU, highlighting the importance of early detection to prevent complications.