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Maternal antihypertensive therapy with beta-blockers associated with poor outcome in very-low birthweight infants

R Kaaja1, V Hiilesmaa, K Holma

  • 1First Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.

The progress of 36 very-low birthweight (less than or equal to 1500 g) infants born to mothers with pregnancy-induced hypertonia or pre-eclampsia was studied. During the first year of life, 7 out of 19 infants died when the mothers' antihypertensive regimen included beta-blockers. Four of the deaths occurred within 15 days. There were no deaths in 16 infants whose mothers were treated with other antihypertensive treatment (P = 0.006). These results suggest that maternal beta-blocker therapy may have adverse effects on the very-low birthweight infants.

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