Methodology of Blood Pressure Measurements

Abstract

The most used parameters to measure fetal outcome are the perinatal mortality and morbidity. The perinatal mortality rises if the systolic and diastolic blood pressures exceed 140 and 90 mmHg, respectively, or when the systolic blood pressure is lower than 105 mmHg. The found dividing line of 140/90 mmHg is however not strict, because a gradual increase in blood pressure shows also a gradual rise in perinatal mortality.¹ The data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project suggest that this mortality rises abruptly, if the diastolic blood pressure exceeds 84 mmHg.²