Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Chronic poorly-controlled high blood pressure before and during pregnancy puts a pregnant woman and
her baby at risk for problems. It is associated with an increased risk for maternal complications such as
preeclampsiaexternal icon, placental abruption (when the placenta separates from the wall of the
uterus), and gestational diabetes. These women also face a higher risk for poor birth outcomes such as
preterm delivery, having an infant small for his/her gestational age, and infant death. The most
important thing to do is to discuss blood pressure problems with your provider before you become
pregnant so that appropriate treatment and control of your blood pressure occurs before pregnancy.
Getting treatment for high blood pressure is important before, during, and after pregnancy.

Preeclampsia (high blood pressure and signs of problems with the kidneys, liver, and other organs).

Throughout the years, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy were more common than chronic
hypertension. The rate of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy increased substantially over the years,
from 528.9 in 1993 to 912.4 in 2014. The rate of chronic hypertension also increased considerably over
time, from 65.1 in 1993 to 166.9 in 2014.
An unsteady gait is an abnormality in walking that can be caused by diseases of or damage to
the legs and feet (including the bones, joints, blood vessels, muscles, and other soft tissues) or
to the nervous system that controls the movements necessary for walking.
Potential causes of temporary gait or balance complications include:

injury
trauma
inflammation
pain
Longer-term difficulties often result from muscular neurological issues.

Problems with gait, balance, and coordination are often caused by specific conditions, including:

joint pain or conditions, such as arthritis

multiple sclerosis (MS)
Meniere’s disease
brain hemorrhage
brain tumor
Parkinson’s disease
Chiari malformation (CM)
spinal cord compression or infarction
Guillain-Barré syndrome
peripheral neuropathy
myopathy
cerebral palsy (CP)
gout
muscular dystrophy
obesity
chronic alcohol misuse
vitamin B-12 deficiency
stroke
vertigo
migraine
deformities
certain medications, including antihypertensive drugs
Other causes include limited range of motion and fatigue. Muscle weakness can occur in one or
both legs making walking difficult.

Foot and leg numbness can make it difficult to know where your feet are moving or whether
they’re touching the floor.
Intrauterine fetal demise is the clinical term for stillbirth used to describe the death of a baby in
the uterus. The term is usually applied to losses at or after the 20th week of gestation.
Pregnancies that are lost earlier are considered miscarriages and are treated differently by
medical examiners.
For this publication, intrauterine fetal demise and stillbirth are considered interchangeable.
Stillbirth has many causes: intrapartum complications, hypertension, diabetes, infection,
congenital and genetic abnormalities, placental dysfunction, and pregnancy continuing beyond
forty weeks.
Epigastric pain is pain that is localized to the region of the upper abdomen immediately below
the ribs. Often, those who experience this type of pain feel it during or right after eating or if
they lie down too soon after eating. It is a common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease
(GERD) or heartburn.

What does epigastric pain feel like?

Epigastric pain is a name for pain or discomfort right below your ribs in the area of your upper
abdomen. It often happens alongside other common symptoms of your digestive system. These
symptoms can include heartburn, bloating, and gas.

Are cramps in pregnancy normal?

It’s completely understandable to worry about stomach pain in pregnancy and be anxious about
this being a sign of miscarriage. But stomach pains or cramps are common in pregnancy and
usually nothing to worry about.

Mild stomach pain in early pregnancy (during the first 12 weeks) is usually caused by your womb
expanding, the ligaments stretching as your bump grows, hormones constipation or trapped
wind. It may sometimes feel like a ‘stitch’ or mild period pain. It’s is probably nothing to worry
about if the pain is mild and goes away when you change position, have a rest, do a poo or pass
wind.

You may also feel light period-like discomfort or cramps at the end of your pregnancy. This is
nothing to worry about, but call your midwife if you have any concerns.

When should I report stomach pain in pregnancy?

Stomach pain can be very worrying for pregnant women. Pain can make you fear the worst,
such as a miscarriage. It’s important to listen to your own instincts. If you are worried about any
pains you’re having, or you just feel like something is wrong, contact your midwife. Don’t be
concerned about wasting anyone’s time. It’s always best to get things checked out.

If you are having persistent stomach pain (pain that won’t go away) or cramping, or if the pain
comes on suddenly it should be checked by a doctor or midwife immediately.
General Discussion
Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is an uncommon disorder affecting both children and adults and
characterized by recurrent, episodes of severe nausea and vomiting. An episode may last for a
few hours to several days and then is followed by a period of time during which affected
individuals are free of severe nausea and vomiting. Some can experience milder symptoms
between attacks. This alternating pattern of disease and disease-free periods distinguishes cyclic
vomiting syndrome from other gastrointestinal disorders. Also, in cyclic vomiting syndrome,
within each sufferer the episodes are similar to each other. The associated nausea and vomiting
can be severe enough to incapacitate the individual who may be unable to walk or talk and/or
be bedridden. Additional symptoms often present during an episode include dizziness, paleness
of the skin (pallor), lack of energy (listlessness), abdominal pain and headaches. Oftentimes,
nausea is the most disturbing symptom, moreso than vomiting. In some cases as children grow
older, they outgrow these episodes, but many eventually develop migraines. Cyclic vomiting
syndrome may affect children more often than adults. The exact cause of cyclic vomiting
syndrome is unknown.

Can throwing up cause death?

Untreated severe dehydration from vomiting can cause seizures, permanent brain damage, or
death.
Vomiting — forcefully expelling what’s in your stomach through your mouth — is your body’s
way of getting rid of something harmful in the stomach. It may also be a response to irritation in
the gut.

Vomiting isn’t a condition, but rather a symptom of other conditions. Some of these conditions
are serious, but most aren’t a cause for concern.

Vomiting can be a one-time event, especially when it’s caused by eating or drinking something
that doesn’t settle right in the stomach. However, vomiting repeatedly can be a sign of an
emergency or a serious underlying condition.

Read on to learn the causes of vomiting in adults, babies, and pregnant women, how to treat it,
and when it’s considered an emergency.

Primary causes of vomiting

The most common causes of vomiting are different in adults, babies, and pregnant or
menstruating women.

Vomiting in adults
The most common causes of vomiting in adults include:

foodborne illnesses (food poisoning)

indigestion
bacterial or viral infections, like viral gastroenteritis, which is often referred to as a “stomach
bug”
motion sickness
chemotherapy
migraine headaches
medications, like antibiotics, morphine, or anesthesia
excessive alcohol consumption
appendicitis
acid reflux or GERD
gallstones
anxiety
intense pain
exposure to toxins, such as lead
Crohn’s disease
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
concussion
food allergies
Vomiting in babies
Common causes of vomiting in babies include:

viral gastroenteritis
swallowing milk too quickly, which can be caused by the hole in the bottle teat being too large
food allergies
milk intolerance
other types of infections, including urinary tract infections (UTIs), middle ear infections,
pneumonia, or meningitis
accidentally ingesting a poison
congenital pyloric stenosis: a condition present at birth in which the passage from the stomach
to the bowel has narrowed so food can’t pass through easily
intussusception: when the bowel telescopes in on itself resulting in a blockage — a medical
emergency
Vomiting when pregnant
Causes of vomiting in pregnant women include:

morning sickness
acid reflux
foodborne illnesses (food poisoning)
migraine headaches
sensitivity to certain smells or tastes
extreme morning sickness, known as hyperemesis gravidarum, which is caused by rising
hormones