Pre-eclampsia: Due to genetic mutation?

Preeclampsia of pregnancy is marked by swelling of the legs and feet, protein in the urine, and high blood pressure. Often, this is caused by a genetic mutation called MTHFR, or "MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase." This enzyme is depleted in those affected, and reduces the ability to detoxify. Greater amounts of certain nutrients are needed, especially folate. Please note: many supplements contain folic acid, which is not the same as folate. 

There is testing available to see if one has this mutation. Barbara Torrey Centofante will share her vast amount of first-hand knowledge on this subject. 

Even if you are not pregnant, this is critical info to explore.

Picture: Granny, Jan. 12, 1983 just before heading to the hospital to bring son Jesse Lee into the world. 

•   Barbara, first of all, 1. What signs would one have of MTHFR? and 2. Where could we be tested for this gene mutation?

  
  
• 

  Lorraine Genevieve  Thanks for posting on this topic. I had severe preeclampsia with early csection with my first pregnancy. Now am 11 weeks along with my 2nd. Been exercising this time around because I read that it possibly might reduce the chance of it happening again. Have not heard of the MTHFR mutation.
• 

  Cheryl Bailey Yes do the gene test. it's a very common gene mutation in regressive autism cases ie those vaccine damaged kids. My son is an MTHFR case.
• 

  Starlene Hollenback wow, i had severe preeclampsia and required iv mag after seizing.
• 

  Valerie George Little Wow my mom and my niece both had this during pregnancy! I wonder if my daughter has this mutation? She has lyme and has a hard time detoxing! Where do you get the testing?
• 

  Bobbi Miller I have the MTHFR mutation and so do my kids. My son Shawn actually has 2 copies. We're on B12 folate injections every other day. I have a history of preeclampsia and am worried about it happening again, but am being monitored very closely by a high risk OB. As far as testing goes, my kids ped ordered the test on them. When the results showed they infact had the mutation, I went to my doctor and asked for the test. He ordered it with no issues.

  
  
• 

  Bobbi Miller  http://mthfr.net/mthfr-mutations-and-the-conditions-they-cause/2011/09/07/
  

  
  

  
  

  MTHFR gene mutations can cause absolutely no symptoms at all. They can also cause severe irreversible health conditions such as Down’s syndrome.
  

  1. Autism
  2. Addictions: smoking, drugs, alcohol
  3. Down's Syndrome
  4. Miscarriages
  5. Pulmonary embolisms
  6. Depression in Post-Menopausal Women
  7. Schizophrenia
  8. Fibromyalgia
  9. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  10. Chemical Sensitivity
  11. Parkinson’s
  12. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  13. Pre-eclampsia
  14. Stroke
  15. Spina bifida
  16. Esophageal Squamous cell carcinoma
  17. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
  18. Vascular Dementia
  19. Bipolar Disorder
  20. Colorectal Adenoma
  21. Idiopathic male infertility
  22. Blood clots
  23. Rectal cancer
  24. Meningioma
  25. Glioma
  26. Congenital Heart Defects
  27. Infant depression via epigenetic processes caused by maternal depression
  28. Deficits in childhood cognitive development
  29. Gastric Cancer
  30. Migraines with aura
  31. Low HDL
  32. High homocysteine
  33. Post-menopausal breast cancer
  34. Atherosclerosis
  35. Oral Clefts
  36. Type 1 Diabetes
  37. Epilepsy
  38. Primary Closed Angle Glaucoma
  39. Alzheimer’s
  40. Tetralogy of Fallot
  41. Decreased telomere length
  42. Potential drug toxicities: methotrexate, anti-epileptics
  43. Cervical dysplasia
  44. Increased bone fracture risk in post-menopausal women
  45. Multiple Sclerosis
  46. Essential Hypertension
  47. Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma
  48. Prostate Cancer
  49. Premature Death
  50. Placental Abruption
  51. Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
  52. Methotrexate Toxicity
  53. Nitrous Oxide Toxicity (NO is used by dentists)
  54. Heart Murmurs
  55. Tight Anal Sphincters
  56. Tongue Tie
  57. Midline Defects (many are listed above)

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante Donna, you might not have any signs... until the MTHFR gene is activated. You can never predict when it will happen... it may be with a baby's first vaccination, or drip drip, drip... after fungal/mycotoxin exposure, taking Cipro, getting pregnant, a huge emotional devastation, putting all sorts of chemicals on your skin through your lotions and potions, etc... you just don't know what your individual tipping point will be. So, the point is to be pro-active. Eat clean, no exemptions... you say it is too expensive ? Wait until you get sick and see much you have to spend going from this doctor to that trying to find out what's wrong with you. My conventional doctor wanted to give me opoid pain killers and anti-depressants. I knew in my heart of hearts that something was wrong and that I didn't need/want pharmaceutical bandaids. I finally went to an Alternative Doctor... another huge out of pocket expense because insurance doesn't cover it. Best money I ever spent. I was practically bed bound... now I am slowly and surely healing. I share this information because most eveything you do about having a MTHFR gene mutation has to do with what you put in your mouth, on your skin and into your environment. I share this information so that you don't go down the road I have.

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante MTHFR is genetic. It would serve you well to find out what health challanges your family, parents and grandparents, etc. have faced. Start a notebook. Get tested and find out which mutation you have. If you have it or your spouse has it have your children tested. I am against vaccinations but if you have a MTHFR gene mutation DON'T TAKE THEM. You may say... we'll I have taken them before with no problem. NEVER FORGET DRIP, DRIP, DRIP. YOU CAN NEVER KNOW WHEN YOUR TIPPING POINT WILL COME, BUT IT WILL COME.

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante If you have a doctor who won't order the test, find another doctor. There are some haughty doctors in practice and rather than admit that they know little to nothing about MTHFR they will pooh, pooh your request and tell you you don't need it. They wouldn't know how to treat it if your test comes back positive anyway. Another danger is they will just tell you to take a Folic Acid supplement.... NO,NO, NO !!! Folic Acid is synthetic and people with MTHFR cannot utilize it.

  
  
• 

  Ave Maria What can you do if you have the mutation?

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante http://www.lovingourguts.com/mthfr-part-2-2/
  

  
  

  
  

  What you can do if you have a MTHFR mutation to help your body to detox and function as it should.

  
  
• 

  Bobbi Miller I agree with Barb. I was told by 2 ER docs that the MTHFR was no big deal. I asked them if they even knew anything about it. They didn't know much at all. Some Doctors will brush it off and say you don't need tested and it's nothing to worry about. Not true. My sons homocysteine was pretty high. He's the one with 2 copies of this mutation and he also has 2 heart defects, so I'm very grateful his ped caught this.

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=351055061616373&set=a.181515575236990.52197.172567162798498&type=1
  

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante Ave Maria... be pro-active. Eat organic as much as it is possible. If you cannot get a food that is organic then get the conventional if it isn't a high pesticide laden food. I have high levels of Lead and DDE (a metabolite of DDT) so I have to avoid food from foreign countries because their pesticide use is not regulated like it is in the USA.

  
  
• 

  Ave Maria thanks - I do have heart issues in my family and then I inexplicably got pre eclampsia with my third pregnancy. I'll have to check this out.

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante http://pinterest.com/barbiec1953/mthfr-methylation-defects-and-epigenics/
  

  
  

  
  

  MTHFR A1298C; MTHFR C677T; Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) hypermobility type (HED)
  

  , also known as type lll; SNPs: ACAT - 1 SNP, AHCY - 3 SNPs, BHMT - 4 SNPs, CBS - 3 SNPs, COMT - 3 SNPs, MAO A - 1 SNP, MTHFR - 3 SNPs, MTR - 1 SNP, MTRR - 6 SNPs, SUOX -1 SNP, VDR - 2 SNPs, SHMT - 1 SNP, NOS-1.

  
  
• 

  Thayer Bentley The pre-e foundation forum is a wonderful place to learn more about this nasty condition. I have survived it twice, (and I do have MTHFR) and have two healthy children- but I have other friends whose story ends much differently.

  
  
• 

  Thayer Bentley http://www.preeclampsia.org/
  

  
  

  
  

  Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum
  

  period, which affects both the mother and the unborn baby. Affecting at least 5 percent of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure, swelling and protein in the urine.
  
• 

  Layla Marcale Alvey Yes my vaccine damaged son has this....wish I knew then what I know now!

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante Every autistic child, that has been tested, is positive for at least one MTHFR mutation .

  
  
• 

  Granny Good-Food So, did the vaccine CAUSE the mutation, or was the mutation pre-existing, thus making the child susceptible to brain injury from the vaccine?
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante No, Donna. Vaccines do not cause any of the MTHFR gene mutations. MTHFR is genetic. You could, theoretically go your whole life with a MTHFR gene mutation and never have it get activated. In this day and age, I do no think that it is possible unless you live on some pristine island and get plenty of fresh air, sunshine, wholesome, organic food and no stress !!!

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante That being said... I think everyone should keep a health notebook. Make notations about what your family health concerns have been. If you pay attention I bet you can start to see a pattern.

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante As far as the people who have MTHFR... we are the "canaries in the mine". The chemists have introduced all sorts of things into our food and environment that aren't good for anyone... but we with MTHFR are affected by heavy metals, GMO's, pesticides, synthetic foods and vitamins, toxins, etc. at the very least, tenfold.

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante I am glad so many of you have come here to @Granny Good-Food... pay close attention to all she shares and teaches you. You can save yourself a lot of heart ache and poor health by being pro-active and keep your food and environment as pure as you possibly can here on the fallen earth.

  
  
• 

  Barbara Torrey Centofante If I had known I had MTHFR I would never have taken Cipro, (a flourine/flouride anti-biotic) and gotten such bad consequences. I cannot put anything in my mouth, on my skin or into my environment without vetting it first. If I were ever to need ansthesia I will need to let them know I have MTHFR. Cipro is a florine/flouride medication and some anesthesia is florine/flouride based as well.

  
  
• 

  Starlene Stewart I found it was a big help to tell the doctor's office the number of the test that I wanted to have done. If people can go to Labcorp and have their blood drawn, the number for the test is: 511238. Or it is also possible to get your test done by paying for it yourself through Dr. Benjamin Lynch here: http://mthfr.net/mthfr-testing-mthfr-test-kit/2012/01/25/ $195 for the test.  
  
• 

  Starlene Stewart
  

  Also I interviewed Dr. Benjamin Lynch on my Blog Talk Radio show about MTHFR, the timeline with bullet points and link to the show is here: http://gapsdietjourney.com/2012/06/talking-with-mthfr-expert-dr-ben-lynch/ Dr. Lynch says consider it a privilege if you find that you have this mutation because there are things you can do - we are in charge of our genetics, not the other way around.

  
  
• 

  Sterling Hill 
  

  I feel the best testing is 23andme or Yasko. Because there are other genetics involved. For example: You cannot effectively treat MTHFR without first addressing CBS. CBS causes a transulfuration pathway blockage and if you are taking the active b's for MTHFR and they eventually turn into the sulfur based molecule glutathione. The glutathione will not be able to fit in the cell. We call this methyltrapping. So you are then spinning your wheels. I'm trying to raise awareness every day. BTW, 90% of people tested have a CBS mutation. This is how critical it is to test the methylation pathway and support it accordingly. MTHFR is just part of the problem. But thankfully we have affordable testing out there to test all the genes involved in the production of glutathione.

  
  
• 

  Granny Good-Food Thank you, Starlene and Sterling! Excellent points! This presentation is about 1-1/2 hr, but very worthwhile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRHif2aVPvw
  

  
  

  Methylation and MTHFR Defects presented by Benjamin Lynch, ND

  
  

  http://mthfr.net/methylation-and-mthfr-defects-presentation/2012/04/25/
  
• 

  Sterling Hill Yes Dr. Ben is a great guy. We chat from time to time. Sharing knowledge to help heal as many as we can. At MTHFRsupport.com, we have Dr. Tim Jackson who is extremely knowledgable about methylation. Im working with many of these doctors now and starting a new website called methylationinformation.com. Where doctors like Ben Lynch, Nancy Mullan and Tim Jackson will share their knowledge with everyone from gut health to methylation via webinars. Hope to have it up and running by March.

  
  
• 

  Terry Bug WOW...fantastic! God bless you everyone for all your contributions here. This info will save lives!

  
  
• 

  Dawn Lancaster Looks a lot like my pic from 1983, but it was my first son. Our Prego supplements contain 5MTHF, which we also use for our austism spectrum patients.
  
  
  

  
  • 
    

    Barbara Torrey Centofante MYHFR mutations may cause a mild to severe loss of activity of the MTHFR enzyme and result in elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood (homocysteinemia) or urine (homocysteinuria). The MTHFR enzyme deficiency leads to elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood (homocysteinemia) or urine (homocysteinuria).  High homocysteine levels in the blood may also increase the risk of preeclampsia and blood clots. In general, mild to moderate homocysteinemia has been associated with an increase risk of developing blood clots in the veins often in the lower leg or calf, which can travel to the lung ( pulmonary embolism).