A case controlled prospective study of 250 cases of hypertension complicating pregnancy (study group) and 400 normal pregnant women (control group) was carried out to determine the effect of hypertension on maternal and foetal outcome. Pregnancy induced hypertension was present in 96% cases and chronic hypertension in 4% cases. Preterm delivery (28.8% versus 3%), labour induction rate (52.8% versus 3.25%), caesarean section rate (14.8% versus 3.5%), stillbirth rate (4.8% versus 0.25%) and overall perinatal mortality rate (14.8% versus 1%) were higher in study group compared to controls. In study group (40%) babies required special nursery care compared to controls (6.75%). From these results it can be concluded that maternal hypertension is associated with adverse pregnancy outcome.
PIP: The effect of hypertension on maternal and fetal outcome was investigated in a case-control study of 250 pregnant women with hypertension (average age, 23.8 years) and 400 pregnant women without this complication (average age, 22.1 years) who presented to Safdarjang Hospital in New Delhi, India. 200 cases (80%) and 372 controls (93%) were primigravidae. 240 cases (96%) had pregnancy-induced hypertension, while 10 (4%) had chronic hypertension. Hypertension was mild and nonproteinuric in 142 cases (56.8%), and was severe and proteinuric in 108 (43.2%). As expected, the prevalence of adverse outcomes was significantly higher in cases than controls: preterm delivery, 28.8% vs. 3%; need for labor induction, 52.8% vs. 3.25%; cesarean section delivery, 14.8% vs. 3.5%; and need for special nursery care, 40% vs. 6.75%. 4.8% of infants of mothers with hypertension were stillborn, compared with 0.25% of infants of controls; overall perinatal mortality rates were 14.8% and 1%, respectively. All neonatal complications occurred in proteinuric, pregnancy-related hypertension cases and there was a strong association between perinatal loss and both prematurity and low birth weight. Maternal hypertension contributes to an estimated 22% of all perinatal deaths. This risk could be reduced by optimum antenatal care and timely increased use of obstetric interventions.