Pregnancy-induced hypertension, also called PIH or pre-eclampsia, affects between 3 and 8 percent of all pregnant women, BabyCenter reports. Certain women have an increased risk for developing PIH, such as first-time moms, women older than age 40, women with pre-existing hypertension, or high blood pressure and those with a family history of the disease. Some diet modifications may help prevent or treat PIH. Always discuss diet modifications with your medical practitioner before implementing.
Purpose
Dietary recommendations related to PIH aim to prevent the disorder from developing or to decrease the chance of its escalating to more serious complications such as eclampsia or HELLP syndrome. In severe forms, these diseases can threaten the life of both fetus and mother.
Possible Benefits
Studies on the benefits or risk of different dietary nutrients in PIH often turn up conflicting information. Some practitioners follow the advice of Tom Brewer, M.D. who advocated a high-protein diet to prevent PIH. This theory is prevalent at midwifery schools, according to MidwifeInfo, which also states there appears to be no medical evidence that this works. Increasing calcium intake may reduce the risk of PIH, but only if you're calcium deficient.
Possible Risks
Restricting sodium can help reduce blood pressure if you have hypertension prior to pregnancy but doesn't benefit women with PIH, according to a 1998 study reported in the "British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecaelogy" by obstetricians at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam. While earlier studies indicated that vitamin C and E supplements might decrease the risk of PIH, newer studies indicate other complications can ensue if pregnant women take high-dose supplements of vitamins C and E.
Body-Mass Index
If you're not yet pregnant, reducing your body-mass index, or BMI, which indicates if a person is overweight or obese, can help prevent PIH. Women with a BMI of 26 or more, which indicates overweight, have two times the risk of developing PIH in pregnancy, while women with a BMI of 30 or more, which indicates obesity, have three times the risk, according to Babycenter. If you're already pregnant, do not go on a calorie-restricted diet of any type without getting your medical practitioner's approval.
Considerations
It's probably not possible to prevent PIH by following a certain diet. Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetable and whole-grains along with lean protein helps keep your weight under control and supplies the necessary vitamins and minerals. Seeing your medical practitioner regularly is the best way to prevent serious complications from PIH.
References
- Wiley Online Medical Library: Low sodium diet and pregnancy-induced hypertension: A Multi-Centre Randomised Controlled Trial; Marianne Knuist et al; Academic Medical Centre; 1998
- MidwifeInfo: Thoughts About Pre-Eclampsia
- Babycenter: Does My Diet Affect My Chances of Getting Pre-Eclampsia in Pregnancy?
- FamilyDoctor.org: Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension
- MayoClinic.com: Preeclampsia
