Sulphur the little children to come unto me

Preeclampsia is a condition that only occurs during pregnancy and post-partum. It affects many women and babies and is life-threatening. The condition is marked by a rapid rise in blood pressure that can lead to seizure, stroke, multiple organ failure and death of the mother and/or baby. It is therefore critical to monitor and be able to get urgent medical assistance when needed.

Although preeclampsis is relevatively easily diagnosed via monitoring changes in blood pressure and maternal urinary protein levels, understanding the pathological mechanisms involved and therefore providing better treatments remains a main challenge,

The exact cause of preeclampsia is unknown, but it is known that there is an association between new blood vessel growth factors and the development of the placenta. The gas hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), is one such growth factor and acts as a messenger to assist vasodilation in new vessel growth. If the molecule that produces the gas called CSE is reduced this may alter the new growth (angiogenic) balance in pregnancy and induce abnormal placentation and maternal hypertension.

Scientists have conducted a number of experiments and now suggest that there results, "imply that endogenous H₂S is required for healthy placental vasculature and a decrease in of CSE/H₂S activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia."

Armed with this knowledge, work is now underway to assess if additional H2S could be provided to women showing signs of preeclampsia in the form of a drug.

The Preeclampsia Foundation say, "We are steadfast in our resolve to improve diagnosis, management and prevention of preeclampsia through research and improved health care practices."

There is concern that although the full course of most pregnancies run perfectly normally many women remain unaware of the need to monitor development. It is naturally not always necessary to come under the care of an expert in OB/GYN such as an obstetrician, but access to specialist services is required when things start going wrong.

For expert advice on pregnancy please see this link.