The Clinical effect of maternal hypertension on pre-term pregnancy - abstract

ABSTRACT

Pre-term neonates of hypertensive mothers have been reported to have an accelerated lung maturity and so an improved perinatal outcome compared to their normotensive counterparts. In order to substantiate this, we examined the case notes of 418 consecutive pre-term pregnancies (< 34 weeks) delivered during a 36-month period. Forty-eight cases without any other obstetric complication were identified. They were compared with 141 normotensive pregnancies identified similarly. More hypertensive mothers were delivered by Caesarean Section (77.1 per cent vs 3.5 per cent). Significantly more hypertensive pre-term pregnancies were associated with foetal distress in labour (44.8 per cent vs 2.8 per cent; p < 0.001) and low birth weight (41.7 per cent vs 1.4 per cent; p < 0.001). There were no differences in low apgar scores, respiratory distress syndrome and neonatal deaths. The findings suggest that maternal hypertension in pre-term pregnancies is associated with an increased incidence of intrauterine growth retardation and foetal distress, and that the perinatal outcome is no better than their normotensive counterparts. The previously reported benefit of "intrauterine stress" in hypertensive pregnancies is not substantiated in this series (AU)