A pregnancy is a time for any expectant mother to be careful of her health, not only for herself but also for the sake of the child that is developing within her womb. With the advancement in technology and further study on various topics being carried out, doctors and scientists have had their attention drawn to a gene that is believed to cause complications in a pregnancy. The catechol-o-methyl transferase enzyme is one of many that could lead to a degradation of the neurotransmitters in the body, and the name given to the gene that causes the aforementioned condition is COMT.
Because of the damage caused by COMT, the placenta is not able to receive the right amount of oxygen required for proper development of the growing baby. When the placenta does not receive the correct amounts of oxygen, it leads to the occurrence of a condition known as Preeclampsia. The primary symptoms of preeclampsia are high levels of protein in the urine, swelling of the body, drastic changes in the output of urine, changes in reflex reactions, severe headaches and high blood pressure. Although a certain amount of swelling is generally associated with a pregnancy, in the event that the swelling does not subside, and there is evidence of other symptoms, it is advisable that you visit your doctor to rule out the possibility of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a condition that is known to affect approximately five out of hundred pregnancies and could prove to be dangerous for both, mother and child. Women at risk of suffering from preeclampsia are those who are over the age of forty, women who have a history of high blood pressure, women who are expecting more than one child and those who are overweight even before the pregnancy.
Preeclampsia can cause a number of complications in a pregnancy that include premature birth, children born with low birth weight and children who suffer from epilepsy, while still other children face difficulties with hearing and vision. The regular recommendations made for treatment of pregnancy complications caused by the COMT gene, with respect to preeclampsia include getting enough bed rest and not putting too much of a strain on the body, injecting magnesium into the veins to avoid any seizures brought on by preeclampsia and keeping a check on the fluid intake during the pregnancy. However, the only tested cure for preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications caused by COMT, is the birth of the baby since it causes the removal of the placenta.