title: Outcome of pregnancies complicated by severe hypertension and delivered before 34 weeks; stepwise logistic regression analysis of prognostic factors.
abstract: The outcome is described for 106 patients with severe hypertension in pregnancy requiring delivery between 26 and 34 weeks. Management was with methyldopa, hydralazine when required and delivery by caesarean section when indicated. Most patients were delivered for cardiotocographic fetal distress or unstable maternal blood pressure. Eighty-five babies (80%) survived and were well at follow-up at 1 year; the perinatal mortality was 123/1000 total births. One patient had postpartum eclampsia, one had pulmonary oedema and one had transient renal failure, but all mothers left hospital well. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the primary positive factor for survival of a healthy baby was gestational age, which was strongly correlated with birthweight. The need for caesarean section as an emergency, hypotension after parenteral hydralazine, intrauterine growth retardation, and severe proteinuria were adverse factors. Intraventricular haemorrhage had a major adverse effect on neonatal survival; it was predisposed to by prolonged maternal hypertension and by low gestational age.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Derham
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: De Vries
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Aber
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Elder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000401:mortality; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000401:mortality; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006830:Hydralazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008750:Methyldopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011379:Prognosis; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000401:mortality; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D006830:Hydralazine; D008750:Methyldopa