Preeclampsia is a disorder that affects up to 300,000 women in the United States each year. The disease is characterized by high blood pressure and protein-rich urine in expectant women, and it can cause serious harm to both mother and child.
With three kids ages 12, 4, and 2, Charis Johnson has her hands full — but shes not complaining.
My kids, are my world, Charis says. Without them, there is no me.
Charis had preeclampsia while pregnant with her last son, Rhayden. With her blood pressure dangerously high, she had to deliver early. Rhayden weighed just 2 pounds, 12 ounces. According to Christopher Robinson, M.D., a maternal fetal medicine specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, delivery is the only known cure for preeclampsia.
The only thing we can do to impact the morbidity and mortality risk surrounding that pre-term delivery is to give the mother steroids, Dr. Robinson says.
Right now, Dr. Robinson is studying the drug Digibind to buy time, so moms can get the optimal dose of much-needed steroids before they are forced to deliver. The primary goal is to give that mother enough time to get 48 hours of steroids, he says.
Administering steroids for 48 hours before delivery lowers the babys risk of stroke, lung disease and even death. It is giving us another window of opportunity to intervene on behalf of the baby prior to delivery to prevent catastrophic outcomes, says Dr. Robinson.
Early studies show Digibind improves blood pressure and leads to better outcomes for babies. Charis doesnt yet know if she got the drug or not, but she believes something helped Rhayden. I call him Hercules because you see he is strong, she says.
Now that baby number four is on the way, the ongoing study gives Charis peace of mind.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Heather Woodwine
Public Relations
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, S.C.
(843) 792-7669