- 1. Pregnant women over 34 weeks
- 2. Pregnant women under 34 weeks
- Corticosteroid therapy to stimulate the baby
- Signs of improvement in HELLP syndrome
- Signs of worsening HELLP syndrome
The best treatment for HELLP Syndrome is to cause early delivery when the baby already has well-developed lungs, usually after 34 weeks, or to accelerate its development so that the delivery is advanced, in cases of gestational age less than 34 weeks.
Normally, the symptoms of HELLP syndrome improve 2 to 3 days after delivery, but if the baby is not sufficiently developed, the obstetrician may recommend hospitalization to maintain constant surveillance and assessment of the health of the pregnant and baby, controlling the symptoms with medication directly into the vein, until the time when delivery is possible.
As an emergency situation, HELLP syndrome should be evaluated as soon as possible in the hospital, as soon as the first signs of suspicion such as severe headache, vision changes and general malaise appear. See what are all the common symptoms of this complication.
1. Pregnant women over 34 weeks
As of this gestational age, the baby is usually sufficiently developed to cause delivery and allow it to continue to develop safely outside the womb. Thus, in these cases, HELLP syndrome is usually treated with an early delivery.
Although the symptoms improve in the first 2 or 3 days after delivery, the pregnant woman and the baby may need to spend more time in the hospital under observation to ensure that there are no complications.
If the baby was born before 37 weeks, it is common for him to be admitted to a hospital incubator until his lungs and other organs are properly developed.
2. Pregnant women under 34 weeks
When the pregnant woman is less than 34 weeks old, or when the baby does not have sufficient lung development to deliver the baby, the doctor usually recommends hospitalization to make a constant evaluation of the pregnant woman and start treatment with:
- Absolute bed rest; Blood transfusions, to treat anemia caused by the syndrome; High blood pressure medication, prescribed by the obstetrician; Ingestion of magnesium sulfate, to prevent seizures due to high blood pressure.
However, when symptoms of HELLP Syndrome worsen or the gestational age is less than 24 weeks, the obstetrician may recommend an abortion to avoid serious complications in the pregnant woman, such as acute renal failure or acute lung edema, which can be life-threatening.
Corticosteroid therapy to stimulate the baby
In addition to this care during hospitalization, the obstetrician may also advise you to take corticosteroid therapy to stimulate the development of the baby's lungs and allow the delivery to happen earlier. This treatment is done with the administration of a corticoid, usually dexamethasone, directly into the vein.
Although it is very successful in several cases, this therapy is quite controversial and, therefore, if it is not showing results, it can be abandoned by the doctor.
Signs of improvement in HELLP syndrome
The signs of improvement in HELLP Syndrome are the stabilization of blood pressure to values similar to those the woman had before becoming pregnant, as well as a reduction in headaches and vomiting.
In the postpartum period of HELLP Syndrome the pregnant woman will feel improvement in about 2 to 3 days, but should continue to be evaluated by the obstetrician or general practitioner, at least once a week, during the first month.
Signs of worsening HELLP syndrome
Signs of worsening HELLP syndrome appear when treatment is not started on time or when the pregnant woman's body is unable to withstand the rise in blood pressure and include difficulty in breathing, bleeding and a decrease in the amount of urine.
