Chronic Hypertension and Pregnancy

Chronic hypertension is frequently encountered during pregnancy and needs to be distinguished from other hypertensive complications of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. The prevalence of this pregnancy complication is attributable to the increased prevalence of obesity and maternal age at childbearing. Women with chronic arterial hypertension are at increased risk for several pregnancy complications, including superimposed preeclampsia, caesarean delivery, preterm delivery <37 weeks gestation, birth weight <2500 g, neonatal unit admission, and perinatal death. Therefore, specialized attention should be given to these women as part of family planning before conception to provide counseling about the pregnancy risks, to inform about surveillance of fetal well-being, to determine the timing of delivery, and to optimize BP control before, during, and after birth.