Preeclampsia's Effect on Fetus Health

Dr. Mills explains if a fetus will grow properly when a mother has preeclampsia during pregnancy.

Long-term features or problems for babies can occur in those babies that have severe forms of intrauterine growth restrictions, so if their weights are remarkably underdeveloped, less than five, the fifth percentile, then those babies can have more difficulty growing and achieving their natural growth. Provided there has been continued brain growth and brain sparring then developmentally those risks are less and babies can continue to develop normally in that regard. Again, the nature of growth restriction in these fetuses, because it’s essentially a nutritional issue related to the placenta’s ability to provide oxygen and nutrition primarily to babies, the growth pattern the babies tend to redistribute those nutrients to those vital organs. So the baby attempts to try and spare brain growth, spare heart growth and heart function primarily and so often then, the features of this growth restriction of babies who have abdomen sizes that are smaller, long bone growths that may be reduced compared to the other body parts or parameters that we measure in a way that this is growth restriction that’s asymmetrical as opposed to growth restriction that’s symmetrical, which may indicate some other kinds of conditions. But the primary things we watch for in these babies is to try and be sure that they are getting sufficient placental support to thrive or grow and to be watchful so if that support is not there to deliver them if necessary, early in the pregnancy, to allow them the neonatal support and care to allow these babies to grow and develop normally.