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The effect of hypertension in pregnancy on fetal and neonatal condition
Author(s) -
Martikainen A.M.,
Hein K.M.,
Saarikoski S.V.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/0020-7292(89)90404-9
Subject(s) - medicine , preeclampsia , obstetrics , pregnancy , growth retardation , full term , fetus , pediatrics , prospective cohort study , fetal growth , surgery , genetics , biology
The aim of this prospective study was to determine the effect of hypertension in pregnancy (PH) on fetal and neonatal condition via other mechanisms than retarded intrauterine growth and preterm delivery. Sixty‐six preterm and 175 full‐term babies born to PH mothers were compared, respectively, with 183 preterm and 220 full‐term babies born to non‐hypertensive (non‐PH) mothers over a 22‐month period in 1984–1986. Small‐forgestational‐age (SGA) children were examined separately from appropriate‐forgestational‐age (AGA) children. Percentages of preterm babies and of both preterm and full‐term SGA babies born to hypertensive mothers were twice as great as the percentages of such babies born to non‐hypertensive mothers. Hypertension in pregnancy directly increased neonatal morbidity, but the effect was minor. In preterm babies it was related to intrauterine growth retardation and to preeclampsia. In full‐term babies the effect was unrelated to the severity of hypertension.