Complications of postpartum preeclampsia include:
• Postpartum eclampsia. Postpartum eclampsia is essentially postpartum preeclampsia plus seizures. Postpartum eclampsia can permanently damage vital organs, including your brain, liver and kidneys. Left untreated, postpartum eclampsia can cause coma. In some cases, the condition is fatal.
• Pulmonary edema. This life-threatening lung condition occurs when excess fluid develops in the lungs.
Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic Staff
If you've already been discharged from the hospital after childbirth and your health care provider suspects that you have postpartum preeclampsia, you might need to be readmitted to the hospital.
Postpartum preeclampsia is usually diagnosed with lab tests:
• Blood tests. These tests can determine how well your liver and kidneys are functioning and whether your blood has a normal number of platelets — the cells that help blood clot.
• Urinalysis. Your health care provider might test a sample of your urine to see if it contains protein.