Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder that usually occurs after 20 weeks of gestation. It is characterised by hypertension and proteinuria . Preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal death, complicating about one-tenth of all pregnancies worldwide . It is the second greatest cause of direct maternal death, accounting for 70,000 maternal mortality globally each year .The burden of preeclampsia and eclampsia is most significant in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where hypertensive disorders of pregnancy account for 10-15% of maternal deaths.
Early detection of symptoms, rapid presentation to healthcare facilities, and subsequent management with antihypertensive medications, magnesium sulphate, and delivery of the foetus and placenta improve outcomes in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and eclampsia . As a result, ANC visits and intrapartum admission are critical chances for patient counselling Despite the essential relationship between women's awareness of preeclampsia and health seeking behaviour, research on this topic is limited, particularly in underdeveloped countries. Even in developed countries, studies in high-income countries show that only half of patients were counselled about preeclampsia signs and symptoms, despite the fact that counselling by healthcare personnel is related to higher patient knowledge. So there is a gap in studying pregnant women's knowledge and attitudes concerning preeclampsia in underdeveloped countries, particularly Egypt, where studies on this topic are scarce.
