What is preeclampsia?

OBGYN Dr. Shamsah Amersi, MD, explains what preeclampsia is, what causes preeclampsia, how many pregnancies are affected by preeclampsia, and how preeclampsia can affect a pregnancy.
Preeclampsia: What You Need to Know
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What is preeclampsia?

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Preeclampsia is a complex disorder that affects approximately 5 percent of pregnancies. It manifests as hypertension, which is greater than 140/80, and also protein in the urine, which appears after twenty weeks of pregnancy. Most commonly, it starts close to your due date of 37 weeks. In some patients, they manifest with preeclampsia much earlier. Usually, the earlier you manifest, the more severe it is. Preeclampsia is caused by a constriction of the blood vessels. Nobody knows why, but the vessels constrict to the brain, which can cause seizures, to the liver and the kidney, which can cause organ failure. Most importantly, the vessels can constrict to the uterus. This can cause poor weight gain, placental abruption, and a need for immediate delivery of the baby.

OBGYN Dr. Shamsah Amersi, MD, explains what preeclampsia is, what causes preeclampsia, how many pregnancies are affected by preeclampsia, and how preeclampsia can affect a pregnancy.

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Shamsah Amersi, MD

Obstetrician & Gynecologist

Shamsah Amersi, MD is a preeminent Board Certified physician in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She received her undergraduate degree in psychobiology from UCLA, where she graduated summa cum laude, with Phi Beta Kappa membership. At the prestigious, UC San Francisco medical school, Dr. Amersi graduated with top honors, and was recognized as a distinguished member of alpha omega alpha, an honor society for the top 5% of all medical doctors.

Dr. Amersi has received numerous professional and academic awards, including the University of California Distinguished Scholar Award for four consecutive years, an endowed merit scholarship, and the UCLA Alumni Association Achievement Award for four consecutive years. Through her private practice in Santa Monica, CA, Dr. Amersi is the personal physician to several Hollywood A-list celebrities. Dr. Amersi has been in private practice as an obstetrician/gynecologist for over ten years. She specializes in natural child birth, offers VBACs to her patients, and focuses on natural conservative treatment options, minimally invasive surgery, and bioidentical hormone replacement. Her favorite part of her job is delivering babies and sharing this intimate journey with her patients. She provides comprehensive compassionate care for all phases of a woman's life from adolescence through menopause.  Her special interest in female sexuality, libido and the effects of childbirth on pelvic prolapse has led to Dr. Amersi's renowned expertise in these fields. She performs both surgical and nonsurgical treatments for pelvic prolapse and vaginal relaxation.

 

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