To assess maternal and fetal outcomes in women who had a single episode of high blood pressure before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Researchers carried out a retrospective cohort analysis on women who gave birth at Kaiser Permanente Southern California hospitals. The participants were split into two groups: normotensive and single increased blood pressure. Women with persistent hypertension were not allowed to participate. Using International Classification of Diseases codes, maternal comorbidities and maternal and neonatal outcomes were retrieved from electronic health data. The size of the connection was described using adjusted odds ratios (aORs) calculated from logistic regression. Among the 303,689 women who gave birth throughout the research period, 23% experienced a single episode of high blood pressure. The rates of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, as well as iatrogenic premature birth, varied between the two groups.
Women who have a single high blood pressure reading before 20 weeks of pregnancy are at a higher risk of hypertensive diseases of pregnancy and iatrogenic premature birth.
