Definition of "preeclampsia" [preeclampsia]

• A condition of hypertension occurring in pregnancy, typically accompanied by edema and proteinuria. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "That’s when the doctor used the word preeclampsia."
• "Medical problems, such as preeclampsia, which is extremely high blood pressure in the mother, or fetal distress, do not fully explain the increase of induced deliveries, which often result in late preterm births, birth between 32 and 36 weeks gestation."
• "A study conducted by scientists at Yale University and published in 2008 reported that, compared to pregnant women who ate less than one serving of chocolate a week, those who consumed five or more servings of chocolate each week during their third trimester had a 40 percent lower risk of developing the dangerous high blood pressure condition known as preeclampsia."