Hypertension in Pregnancy - Fetal and Infant Outcome a Cohort Study

The influence of hypertension on fetal outcome was investigated in a cohort study over four years (1981–1984). Hypertension occurred in 7.7% of the 9616 pregnancies. The total number of live born infants was 9654: 746 in conjunction with hypertension and 8908 in conjunction with normotension. All pregnancies were dated by an ultrasound scan in week 17. Antihypertensive treatment with beta-adrenoceptor- blockade was given in 266 patients. No significant differences in fetal, neonatal or perinatal mortality rate were observed between hypertensive and normotensive pregnancies when these mortality rates were studied separately. However, the total fetal and infant mortality was found to be significantly higher in hypertensive pregnancies (19.6/1000) as compared with normotensives (9.5/1000). The highest mortality rates were found in pregnancies complicated by proteinuric hypertension (pre-eclampsia) and chronic hypertension. Mortality in hypertensive pregnancies was mainly confined to preterm birth and birth weight <2500 g; still infants with birth weight %lt;2500g to hypertensives had a non-significantly lower mortality than equally small infants to normotensives. The frequency of hyaline membrane disease (IRDS) in preterm infants was of the similar magnitude in conjunction with hypertension and normotension