Water immersion not much help for preeclampsia

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - It seemed like a good idea in theory, but for pregnant women who develop preeclampsia, water immersion does little to correct the problem, Dutch researchers report.

Preeclampsia is marked by the occurrence of high blood pressure and reduced kidney function during pregnancy. The underlying problem seems to be abnormal constriction of blood vessels, leading to reduced blood flow to the organs of the body.

"Because water immersion produces a marked central redistribution of blood volume ... we hypothesized that water immersion might be useful in the treatment of preeclampsia," Dr. Ayten Elvan-Taspinar, of University Medical Center, Utrecht, and colleagues write in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The researchers assessed the effects of 3 hours of water immersion on seven pregnant women with preeclampsia, seven normal pregnant women, and seven non-pregnant women.

The investigators observed an increase in the heart's output during water immersion in each group, and blood pressure and heart rate went down.

All groups experienced significant decreases in blood flow resistance in the peripheries, but values in women with preeclampsia remained above those seen in normal pregnant women.

Most of the changes that occurred during water immersion reverted to baseline values within two hours after the procedure.

"Altogether, it is unlikely that water immersion is useful as a therapeutic modality in preeclampsia," Elvan-Taspinar and colleagues conclude.

SOURCE: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, December 2006.