Arvada mom relieved to be home with baby after preeclampsia battle during pregnancy
Lifestyle

Arvada mom relieved to be home with baby after preeclampsia battle during pregnancy

Denver (KDVR) — Kacey Rupe and her husband, Travis, are glad their baby is finally home from the hospital. It’s been quite a journey for little Riley.

“She really just beat all of the odds,” Kacey said. 

The Arvada mom developed preeclampsia during pregnancy and had to be hospitalized at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver when she was just 26 weeks along. 

“That’s when it became real and really scary,” she said.

Preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous condition during pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure, protein in the urine and swelling. It is one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal deaths worldwide.

“It puts women at risk for having eclampsia, which is a seizure. It also puts them at risk of having problems with their kidneys, liver, puts mom at risk of having stroke, heart attack, and it also can cause problems with the growth of babies,” said Dr. Sarah Shepard.

The complication gets worse with time, she said, and the only real treatment is delivery.

“We try to optimize the time for baby on the inside without putting mom at too much risk, and that can be challenging,” Shepard said.

Kacey’s baby, Riley, was delivered through a cesarean section at 31 weeks and weighed just 2 pounds, 6 ounces. She spent six weeks in the NICU at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, but now she is at home with her parents and doing well.

Kacey is grateful that she and her doctors recognized the symptoms of preeclampsia and were able to take action. But Kacey wants to raise awareness.

“Even if you know you are at risk for preeclampsia, it’s still not talked about enough,” she said.

Kacey had high blood pressure before her pregnancy which is a risk factor, but doctors say this can happen to anyone and it’s important to get prenatal care. Other risks include a family history of preeclampsia, an older maternal age, or a pregnancy with multiples.