Beware of HELLP Syndrome in Pregnant Women

HELLP syndrome is a disorder of the liver and blood that occurs in pregnancy. This syndrome is often associated with preeclampsia. HELLP syndrome can be life threatening and usually occurs after pregnancy enters the age of 20 weeks. HELLP syndrome is an abbreviation of Hemolysis (H), namely damage to red blood cells, elevated liver enzymes (EL), namely increased production of liver enzymes due to interference with liver cells and Low Platelet (LP), which is the number of platelets or platelets that are too low, thereby disrupting the clotting process blood.

Recognize Various Symptoms

Risk factors for pregnant women experiencing HELLP syndrome, which is aged over 34 years, pregnant with twins, or have a family that has experienced HELLP syndrome. Especially if pregnant women suffer from certain medical conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease or blood coagulation. In addition, 1 in 10 pregnant women who have preeclampsia is more likely to develop HELLP Syndrome. Symptoms of HELLP syndrome vary from person to person and are not too specific, so it is sometimes difficult to diagnose. Symptoms that can arise such as fatigue, headache, abdominal pain, especially heartburn or upper right, nausea, vomiting during pregnancy. Some other symptoms of HELLP syndrome including swelling in the hands, legs, or face, excessive and sudden weight gain, spontaneous bleeding without precipitating, indigestion, impaired vision, and pain when breathing are also felt. It is better to consult a doctor immediately if pregnant women show these symptoms.

Management of HELLP Syndrome

If symptoms of HELLP syndrome are felt, it is important to consult a doctor immediately to get the right treatment. Generally, the doctor will do a physical examination, a urine test to see protein leakage, and a blood test to evaluate liver function and platelet counts. In addition, there is a possibility that MRI needs to be done to see the overall health condition. If the test results indicate that you have HELLP syndrome, terminating (terminating) the pregnancy with the consequences of giving birth prematurely is one possible way to prevent serious complications that could endanger the condition of the mother and baby. However, if the gestational age is still less than 34 weeks, the medical steps that will be taken by the doctor before deciding to terminate the pregnancy are done, including:

• Bed rest and hospital care so that the health of the mother and fetus can be monitored properly.
• Blood transfusion, in this case platelet transfusion, for HELLP syndrome patients with platelet counts that are too low and at risk of bleeding.
• Giving corticosteroids to accelerate the maturation of the baby's lungs before birth in order to function properly after birth.
• Provision of magnesium sulfate to prevent eclampsia.
• Provision of drugs to reduce blood pressure.
• Monitoring and evaluation of the possibility of fetal distress.

If you have had HELLP syndrome, the risk of developing complications during pregnancy in the future will be higher. Make sure your treating doctor is aware of your entire health and pregnancy history. HELLP syndrome is classified as a dangerous condition for pregnant women and requires prompt treatment. Do not hesitate to consult a doctor immediately about any complaints that are felt during pregnancy.