Evaluation of a definition of pre-eclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine: 1. whether an alternative definition of gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia stratifies women according to their risk of maternal and fetal complications; 2. whether pregnancy outcome in women with gestational hypertension differs in the presence or absence of '+' proteinuria; and 3. whether a blood pressure rise of > or = 30/15 mmHg during pregnancy is associated with adverse outcome in women who remain normotensive.


METHODS
Prospective, nested case-control study.


METHODS
Community based.


METHODS
Healthy, nulliparous women (n = 1496).


METHODS
Women recruited into a study investigating serum markers predictive of pre-eclampsia were classified as having gestational hypertension (systolic blood pressure > or = 140 mmHg with a rise of > or = 30 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure > or = 90 mmHg with a rise of > or = 15 mmHg) or pre-eclampsia (gestational hypertension plus proteinuria > or = 2+on dipstick or > 0.3 g/24 h). Maternal and fetal complications in gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia were compared with a control group of 223 randomly selected normotensive women. The main outcome measures were severe maternal disease, preterm birth and small for gestational age infant.


RESULTS
A stepwise increase in adverse maternal and fetal outcomes occurred in gestational hypertension (n = 117, 7.8%) and pre-eclampsia (n = 71, 4.8%). Severe maternal disease developed in 26.5% (21.4% severe hypertension alone, 5.1% multisystem disease) of women with gestational hypertension and 63.4% (21.1% severe hypertension alone, 42.3% multisystem disease) of women with pre-eclampsia (OR 4.8; 95% CI 2.4-9.5). Preterm birth and small for gestational age infants were more frequent in gestational hypertension (OR 1.7; 95% CI 0.5-5.4, and OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.0-3.7, respectively) and pre-eclampsia (OR 14.6; 95% CI 5.8-37.8, and OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.2-5.3) than in the normotensive group. Among women with gestational hypertension severe maternal disease was more common in women with '+' proteinuria (41.7%) than in those with no proteinuria (15.9%): OR 3.8; 95% CI 1.5-9.8. Pregnancies were uncomplicated in the 27% of normotensive women who had a rise of > or = 30 mmHg systolic blood pressure and/or > or = 15 mmHg rise in diastolic blood pressure.


CONCLUSIONS
In the nulliparous population studied our definition of gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia identified women at increasing risk of maternal and fetal complications. In gestational hypertension, the presence of proteinuria '+' was associated with a 3.8-fold increase in severe maternal disease. Normotensive women who have a rise in blood pressure > or = 30/15 mmHg had uncomplicated pregnancies.
North
R A
RA
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Taylor
R S
RS
Schellenberg
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000209:etiology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors