Treatment for Pregnancy Induced Hypertension, also commonly referred to as toxemia, is determined by the severity of the disorder. Any time that a woman is diagnosed with this condition, close observation of both the mother and baby will be necessary for the remainder of the pregnancy. What begins as transient hypertension, with few other symptoms, can quickly escalate to preeclampsia (a more severe form), with little or no warning signs.

When initially diagnosed with this disorder, if symptoms are mild, a woman may be permitted to remain at home, on bedrest. A visiting nurse may come to your home to check your blood pressure, urine, weight, the baby's heart rate, and also to interview you and assess you for other symptoms. Other blood and laboratory tests may be ordered to assess the function of your kidneys, heart, and liver. Your doctor or midwife may recommend ultrasound studies to more accurately assess the baby's growth and development, along with the blood flow through the umbilical cord. It may also be necessary for you to have more frequent office visits than would be required if your pregnancy were normal.

If your symptoms worsen and your condition progresses to the stage of preeclampsia, it will be necessary for you to be admitted to the hospital. This way, the doctors and nurses can more closely observe you and your baby. A perinatologist (an obstetrician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies) may become involved in your care. Depending on the health of the mother and the risks to the baby, it may be necessary to deliver the baby.

If delivery is scheduled to occur before your due date, an amniocentesis (a procedure that involves placing a needle into the uterus and removing some amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby) will be performed. The results of the amniocentesis tell the doctor whether or not the baby's lungs are mature enough to breathe on their own, outside of the womb. Medications that help to mature the baby's lung tissue are usually given to the mother before delivery is scheduled. Ideally, delivery should be delayed 48 hours after these medications are administered, (it takes about that long for the medicine to work) but in some instances that is not possible. Other medications that may be given to the mother include antihypertensive drugs to reduce the mother's blood pressure and anticonvulsive medications to reduce the risk of seizures.

Complications of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension can at times be severe. It this condition remains untreated, the woman may suffer a seizure, placing increased risk on both the mother and baby. Other maternal organs, like the kidneys, liver, heart, and brain can become compromised. If this should occur, the women will require monitoring in an intensive care unit and delivery will occur as soon as possible. Fortunately, for most all women who develop Pregnancy Induced Hypertension, the condition resolves after delivery.

Since the only known "cure" for Pregnancy Induced Hypertension and the complications that can occur with it, is the delivery of the baby and the placenta, treatment during the woman's pregnancy is aimed at controlling the severity of symptoms and promoting optimal maturation of the fetus. When symptoms become severe, and the health of the mother and or the baby is at risk, the only remaining option is to deliver the baby.