Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNormal and High LevelsSymptomsConfirmationTreatmentWhy You Can’t Lower ProteinPregnancy With PreeclampsiaPregnancy With Kidney Disease
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Normal and High Levels
Symptoms
Confirmation
Treatment
Why You Can’t Lower Protein
Pregnancy With Preeclampsia
Pregnancy With Kidney Disease
Whenpregnant, you will have your urine checked at routine appointments. One of the reasons urine is analyzed is to detect protein. While it is normal to have a small amount, a large amount of protein in the urine (proteinuria) during pregnancy is serious.
Proteinuria during pregnancy may signalpreeclampsia, a condition that causeshigh blood pressureduring and right after pregnancy.It may also mean you have kidney disease that needs to be treated. Large amounts of protein in the urine may indicate that your kidneys are not functioning normally.
Other possible causes of proteinuria during pregnancy are dehydration, inflammation,infection,kidney stones, stress, low blood pressure, or intense exercise.
This article discusses proteinuria during pregnancy, how to treat it, and if you can prevent it.
SDI Productions / Getty Images
Normal and High Urine Protein Levels in Pregnancy
It is normal to have some protein in your urine, especially when pregnant. For people who are not pregnant, an average urine protein level is under 150 milligrams per day (mg/d). For pregnant people, the upper limit is 300 mg/d. Most healthcare providers consider a urine protein level over 500 mg/d serious and a sign of preeclampsia.
Symptoms of High Protein in Pregnancy
The symptoms of high protein in your urine depend on the underlying cause. A common cause of proteinuria during pregnancy is preeclampsia, which usually develops after 20 weeks' gestation. Preeclampsia affects about 3% to 7% of pregnancies in the United States.
Symptoms of preeclampsia may include:
When left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to life-threatening complications, including seizures, stroke, andHELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count) syndrome. HELLP syndrome is a medical emergency and needs to be treated immediately.
Confirming Dangerous Protein Levels
A dipstick test (urinalysis) checks the protein level in your urine. This is a quick test that can be completed in an outpatient facility. Your provider will give you a cup in which you will provide a small urine sample. They will then dip a test strip into the urine. This test strip contains chemical patches that change color when protein and other substances are detected.
If the dipstick test reveals a high protein level, your provider will likely recommend a 24-hour urine protein test to confirm the high result. If the result is high, your provider will work with you to determine the cause. If preeclampsia is a concern, your provider will perform a physical exam and order additional lab tests to look for other signs, including:
Treatment: Watchful Waiting vs. Inducing Labor
To reduce the risk of complications from preeclampsia, your healthcare provider may recommendinducing labor. This is usually only an option once you reach 37 weeks' gestation. Your provider may recommend induction if you develop any of the following serious preeclampsia symptoms:
Why You Can’t Reduce Protein Levels in Your Urine
Once your kidneys are damaged or under stress, they cannot keep proteins from entering the urine. Drinking more water will not help reduce protein in the urine. The only way to treat proteinuria is to treat the underlying cause.
Self-Care During Pregnancy With Preeclampsia Risk Factors
If you are at risk for preeclampsia, pregnancy can also be a time of stress or fear about the future. It may be helpful to remember that for most people with preeclampsia, the condition resolves on its own after childbirth.
Self-Care During Pregnancy With Kidney Disease
To managechronic kidney diseaseduring pregnancy, your healthcare provider may recommend medications, changes to your diet, and blood pressure monitoring. Daily exercise and avoiding tobacco may improve your blood pressure readings.
Summary
If you have been diagnosed with proteinuria, it means that there are unusually high protein levels in your urine. It is normal to have slightly higher levels during pregnancy. However, very high levels could mean that you have preeclampsia or kidney disease.
Symptoms of preeclampsia include high blood pressure, swelling in the hands and face, and sudden weight gain. If the condition is not treated, it can lead to dangerous complications like seizures, stroke, or HELLP syndrome. Pregnancy with kidney disease can be managed with medication, dietary changes, and other treatments. Talk with your healthcare provider about the right plan for you.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Protein in urine.Rana S, Lemoine E, Granger JP, Karumanchi SA.Preeclampsia: Pathophysiology, challenges, and perspectives [published correction appears in Circ Res. 2020 Jan 3;126(1):e8].Circ Res. 2019;124(7):1094-1112. doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313276Phipps EA, Thadhani R, Benzing T, Karumanchi SA.Pre-eclampsia: pathogenesis, novel diagnostics and therapies [published correction appears in Nat Rev Nephrol. 2019 Jun;15(6):386].Nat Rev Nephrol. 2019;15(5):275-289. doi:10.1038/s41581-019-0119-6Fishel Bartal M, Lindheimer MD, Sibai BM.Proteinuria during pregnancy: definition, pathophysiology, methodology, and clinical significance.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022;226(2S):S819-S834. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2020.08.108Saxena I, Kapoor S, Gupta RC.Detection of proteinuria in pregnancy: comparison of qualitative tests for proteins and dipsticks with urinary protein creatinine index.J Clin Diagn Res. 2013;7(9):1846-1848. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2013/6656.3330MedlinePlus.Preeclampsia.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Preeclampsia and high blood pressure during pregnancy.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Usefulness of urine protein dipstick testing as part of routine prenatal care.National Kidney Foundation.Pregnancy and kidney disease.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Protein in urine.Rana S, Lemoine E, Granger JP, Karumanchi SA.Preeclampsia: Pathophysiology, challenges, and perspectives [published correction appears in Circ Res. 2020 Jan 3;126(1):e8].Circ Res. 2019;124(7):1094-1112. doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313276Phipps EA, Thadhani R, Benzing T, Karumanchi SA.Pre-eclampsia: pathogenesis, novel diagnostics and therapies [published correction appears in Nat Rev Nephrol. 2019 Jun;15(6):386].Nat Rev Nephrol. 2019;15(5):275-289. doi:10.1038/s41581-019-0119-6Fishel Bartal M, Lindheimer MD, Sibai BM.Proteinuria during pregnancy: definition, pathophysiology, methodology, and clinical significance.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022;226(2S):S819-S834. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2020.08.108Saxena I, Kapoor S, Gupta RC.Detection of proteinuria in pregnancy: comparison of qualitative tests for proteins and dipsticks with urinary protein creatinine index.J Clin Diagn Res. 2013;7(9):1846-1848. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2013/6656.3330MedlinePlus.Preeclampsia.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Preeclampsia and high blood pressure during pregnancy.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Usefulness of urine protein dipstick testing as part of routine prenatal care.National Kidney Foundation.Pregnancy and kidney disease.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Protein in urine.Rana S, Lemoine E, Granger JP, Karumanchi SA.Preeclampsia: Pathophysiology, challenges, and perspectives [published correction appears in Circ Res. 2020 Jan 3;126(1):e8].Circ Res. 2019;124(7):1094-1112. doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313276Phipps EA, Thadhani R, Benzing T, Karumanchi SA.Pre-eclampsia: pathogenesis, novel diagnostics and therapies [published correction appears in Nat Rev Nephrol. 2019 Jun;15(6):386].Nat Rev Nephrol. 2019;15(5):275-289. doi:10.1038/s41581-019-0119-6Fishel Bartal M, Lindheimer MD, Sibai BM.Proteinuria during pregnancy: definition, pathophysiology, methodology, and clinical significance.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022;226(2S):S819-S834. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2020.08.108Saxena I, Kapoor S, Gupta RC.Detection of proteinuria in pregnancy: comparison of qualitative tests for proteins and dipsticks with urinary protein creatinine index.J Clin Diagn Res. 2013;7(9):1846-1848. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2013/6656.3330MedlinePlus.Preeclampsia.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Preeclampsia and high blood pressure during pregnancy.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Usefulness of urine protein dipstick testing as part of routine prenatal care.National Kidney Foundation.Pregnancy and kidney disease.
MedlinePlus.Protein in urine.
Rana S, Lemoine E, Granger JP, Karumanchi SA.Preeclampsia: Pathophysiology, challenges, and perspectives [published correction appears in Circ Res. 2020 Jan 3;126(1):e8].Circ Res. 2019;124(7):1094-1112. doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313276
Phipps EA, Thadhani R, Benzing T, Karumanchi SA.Pre-eclampsia: pathogenesis, novel diagnostics and therapies [published correction appears in Nat Rev Nephrol. 2019 Jun;15(6):386].Nat Rev Nephrol. 2019;15(5):275-289. doi:10.1038/s41581-019-0119-6
Fishel Bartal M, Lindheimer MD, Sibai BM.Proteinuria during pregnancy: definition, pathophysiology, methodology, and clinical significance.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022;226(2S):S819-S834. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2020.08.108
Saxena I, Kapoor S, Gupta RC.Detection of proteinuria in pregnancy: comparison of qualitative tests for proteins and dipsticks with urinary protein creatinine index.J Clin Diagn Res. 2013;7(9):1846-1848. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2013/6656.3330
MedlinePlus.Preeclampsia.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Preeclampsia and high blood pressure during pregnancy.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Usefulness of urine protein dipstick testing as part of routine prenatal care.
National Kidney Foundation.Pregnancy and kidney disease.
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