EPermanently high blood pressure, a so-called hypertension, poses considerable risks for mother and child during pregnancy. Nevertheless, many sufferers only receive blood pressure medication when their “upper” and “lower” vascular pressure is 160 and 110 millimeters on the mercury column (mmHg) and thus exceeds the usual upper limits of 140 and 90 mmHg by 20 mmHg. Behind this therapeutic restraint, which is also noted in the guidelines of the gynecological societies, is the fear of impairing fetal development. However, this concern appears to be unfounded. What’s more, not taking antihypertensive drugs even seems to harm the unborn child, as well as the pregnant woman. In any case, this is supported by the results of a study by researchers led by Alan Tita from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, USA.
The participants in the project, around 2,400 expectant mothers with an average age of 32, suffered from mild hypertension. Her “upper” blood pressure was between 140 and 159 mmHg and her “lower” between 90 and 104 mmHg. Randomly assigned to one group or the other, half of them had been treated with blood pressure-lowering drugs, so-called antihypertensive drugs, and the other half, the comparison group, had not. Most women were given either nifedipine, a vasodilator belonging to the calcium channel blocker family, or the alpha-beta antagonist labetalol, a compound that lowers blood pressure by suppressing the autonomic nervous system. Both antihypertensives are among the few antihypertensives that are safe for the fetus and can therefore also be administered to pregnant women.
