Adam spent six weeks in the special care baby unit

Katherine Walker was 27 weeks pregnant when checks showed she had high blood pressure.

"At that time, nothing more was said. But I went back for another check-up a week later," she said.

"There they found that the protein levels in my urine were very high, and they admitted me to hospital straight away.

"They just told me my blood pressure was high, and they needed to admit me.

"I just thought it was a blood pressure thing. Nobody really said anything about pre-eclampsia."

Blood pressure fears

Katherine's blood pressure was continuously monitored while she was in hospital, but she was not warned about the risks of the condition.

I was worried about getting pregnant again Katherine Walker

"In the end it was a midwife who said in passing I would probably have a baby in a week or two.

"She said there was no way I would go to term. I couldn't believe it."

Katherine, from Beckenham in Kent, was almost 29 weeks pregnant when she was admitted to hospital.

Just under a week later, she had a baby boy by Caesarean section.

"My blood pressure was ridiculously high - it was around 200 over 150, at least twice what it was when I was admitted," she said.

"I remember my heart rate really slowed down. I told my husband I felt really tired. I just felt like I was going to drift away.

"My condition didn't really register with me, but it was hard for my husband.

"I could see from the look on the anaesthetist's face that he was worried.

"When your life is in these people's hands and they look like that, it's scary."

Special care

The couple had been warned by their paediatrician that their child could be affected by being born prematurely.

But baby Adam, who weighed just 2lb 13oz when he was born, suffered no lasting problems - although he did spend six weeks in the special care baby unit.

Katherine was told her blood pressure would return to normal over the 48 hours following the birth.

But she said: "Mine wasn't back to normal, without medication, until 10 months afterwards."

She added: "I was worried about getting pregnant again.

"If you had asked me in the first few months if I wanted another baby, I would have said 'no'.

"I was absolutely adamant I wouldn't put myself through that again.

"But I have been for some counselling, and I've been told there are things I would be able to do to reduce my risk.

"I was told I could take a low dose of aspirin and vitamin supplements every day.

"Having survived it once, I would be prepared to face it."