Gestational Hypertension: Overview and Current Recommendations

Background Hypertension is the persistent elevation of blood pressure. There is no natural dividing line between normal blood pressure and hypertension. The simplified definition by the World Health Organization Experts Committee (1978) is, “hypertension in adults of a systolic pressure equal to or >160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure >90 mmHg.”[1] Blood pressure is the force of that the blood applies to the wall of the arteries when it flows through them. It is normal for blood pressure to increase when you exert yourself or when you feel stressed or anxious. However, if the blood pressure is consistently higher than normal at rest, it is known as hypertension. Hypertension in pregnancy is a universally common disease. The normal growth and development of the fetus can be adversely affected by a number of factors such as infection and complications during pregnancy such as pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and diabetes. In PIH, a woman begins her pregnancy with a normal blood pressure, but it rises sometimes during the third trimester. The criterion to be met, before suspecting PIH is a rise in the systolic number of 30 and/or a rise of the diastolic number of 15. Preeclampsia is a condition that starts after the 20th week of pregnancy and is related to high blood pressure and protein in the mother’s urine along with swelling on the face and legs. High blood pressure can be dangerous for both the mother and the fetus. The effects of increased blood pressure range from mild to severe.[2]