At each prenatal visit, the mother-to-be must perform a urinalysis to look for sugar and albumins. A transport protein made by the liver, albumins are normally absent from urine. Albuminuria, also called proteinuria, refers to the abnormal presence of albumin in the urine.

The purpose of looking for albumin in the urine is to screen for pre-eclampsia (or toxemia of pregnancy), a complication of pregnancy due to a malfunction of the placenta. It can occur at any term, but it is most often in the last trimester that it appears. It is then manifested by hypertension (systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mmHg, or “14/9”) and proteinuria (protein concentration in the urine greater than 300 mg per 24 hours) (1 ). The rise in blood pressure leads to a lower quality of blood exchange in the placenta. At the same time, this hypertension alters the kidney which no longer plays its role of filter correctly and allows proteins to pass through the urine.

It is therefore to detect pre-eclampsia as early as possible that a urine test and a blood pressure test are systematically carried out at each prenatal consultation.

Certain clinical signs may also appear when pre-eclampsia is advanced: headache, abdominal pain, visual disturbances (hypersensitivity to light, spots or shines in front of the eyes), vomiting, confusion and sometimes massive edema, accompanied by severe swelling. sudden weight gain. The appearance of these symptoms should prompt to consult quickly.

Pre-eclampsia is a risky situation for mom and baby. In 10% of cases (2), it can cause serious complications in the mother: a detachment of the placenta leading to hemorrhage requiring an emergency delivery, eclampsia (state of convulsion with loss of consciousness), cerebral hemorrhage, a syndrome HELL

As the exchanges at the level of the placenta are no longer taking place correctly, the good growth of the baby may be threatened, and growth retardation in utero (IUGR) frequent.

As proteinuria is already a sign of seriousness, the mother-to-be will be hospitalized in order to benefit from a very regular follow-up with urine analyzes, a blood pressure test and blood tests to assess the evolution of pre-eclampsia. The impact of the disease on the baby is also assessed regularly with monitoring, dopplers and ultrasounds.

Other than rest and monitoring, there is no treatment for preeclampsia. While hypotensive drugs lower blood pressure and save time, they do not cure preeclampsia. In the event of severe pre-eclampsia, the mother and her baby being in danger, it will then be necessary to deliver the baby quickly.