Posted on 04/26/2022 at 08:33,
Reading 3 mins.
According to a recent study, the treatment of blood pressure during pregnancy would greatly reduce the risks associated with the course of pregnancy and childbirth.
Experts are unanimous on this – high blood pressure and pregnancy do not mix. The latter can have more or less serious repercussions, ranging from growth retardation in utero to hemorrhage during childbirth. New research, presented at the 71st Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), has shown many benefits for treating moderate chronic hypertension during pregnancy.
Premature delivery, pre-eclampsia… Treatment would reduce the risks
High blood pressure is one of the most common diseases in pregnant women. However, the vast majority – who suffer from mild chronic hypertension – receive little or no treatment; wrongly according to the researchers.
“We have long known that outside of pregnancy it is important to treat high blood pressure (…) but there has been some controversy and uncertainty about whether to treat non-severe chronic hypertension during pregnancy. pregnancy, primarily due to fears that antihypertensive treatment may lead to poor fetal growth”said Alan Tita, professor of midwifery and author of the trial.
The benefits induced by the treatment of mild hypertension are however very real, according to scientists.
After observing 2408 pregnant women divided into two groups (one control and the other taking antihypertensive drugs), the experts found significantly lower rates of risks related to the course of pregnancy (severe pre-eclampsia, premature delivery less than 35 weeks of pregnancy, placental abruption and neonatal/fetal death…) in pregnant women who received treatment compared to those who did not (30.2% versus 37%, respectively).
Looking at each outcome individually, antihypertensive treatment even significantly reduced the risk of pre-eclampsia and delivery before 35 weeks. The difference between the rates of placental abruption and fetal or neonatal death between the two groups was smaller.
Another significant point: the treatment had no impact on the size of the babies at birth.
“After several decades of uncertainty, the results of this study confirm the need for clinical recommendations to treat mild and severe chronic hypertension during pregnancy.“, concludes Professor Alan Tita.
However, information and education work must be done on the advantages of this treatment.
Follow your pregnancy week by week
Pre-eclampsia: symptoms
Responsible for a third of very premature births in France, pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy disease that combines high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. It results from a dysfunction of the placenta.
The disease can occur quickly or later, shortly before delivery or sometimes even after. Untreated, this syndrome leads to numerous complications that can lead to the death of the mother and/or the child.
Various symptoms make it possible to recognize the disease:
- A rise in blood pressure (greater than 140 mmHg and/or 90 mmHg and usually occurring in the middle of the second trimester);
- A protein concentration greater than 0.3 g/24 h in the urine;
- Severe headaches;
- Visual disturbances;
- Tinnitus;
- Abdominal pain;
- Vomitings ;
- Decreased or stopped urination;
- Significant oedemas;
- Sudden weight gain.
In the event of pre-eclampsia, hospitalization and appropriate drug treatment are required. According to a recent study, a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy reduces the risk of preeclampsia by 22%. More information on “A Mediterranean diet during pregnancy reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia”.