Gestational Hypertension 

What Is Gestational Hypertension? 

Blood pressure is a measure of the pressure inside your blood vessels --  while the heart  is beating  and while it  is relaxed. Of course,  high blood pressure develops when the pressure within your blood vessels  is too high. This is also known as hypertension.
 
Pregnant women can develop high blood pressure just like women who are not pregnant. In fact, high blood pressure occurs  in 6 percent to 8 percent  of all pregnancies in  the United States, approximately 70 percent  of which are first-time pregnancies.
 
Women who are pregnant can develop a couple of different types of high blood pressure. One type is  called gestational hypertension. Gestational hypertension is high blood pressure that develops after  the twentieth week  of pregnancy. This is similar to another condition seen in pregnancy, known as preeclampsia.
  
What Causes It? 

At  this point,
hypertension research scientists do not know the cause or causes of gestational hypertension. They do know, however, that because of gestational hypertension, blood flow to organs such as the placenta, kidneys, brain, and liver may  be affected. 

Diagnosing Gestational Hypertension 

Gestational hypertension  is diagnosed after taking several readings to find the average blood pressure. To find the average blood pressure, your blood pressure needs to be  taken two or more times, and each reading should be from  a different day. A woman can be diagnosed  with gestational hypertension if she meets  the following criteria: 

• The average  of the two blood pressure numbers is greater  than 140/90 
• The woman is past her twentieth week of pregnancy 
• She did not have  high blood pressure prior to pregnancy 
• She  does not have signs or symptoms  of preeclampsia. 

Treatment Options 

The treatment recommended for gestational hypertension will depend on a number of factors, including:
At what week the gestational hypertension is diagnosed 
Severity of symptoms. 
 
Some treatment options may include: 

• Observation
• Bed rest 
• Medications
• No-salt-added diet 
• More frequent prenatal visits 
• Early delivery (after 36 weeks). 

If a doctor suspects a woman of having gestational hypertension but the blood pressure is not very high, he or she may begin by recommending bed rest for several days. In addition, as part of treatment, the doctor may recommend a no-added-salt diet. If  this early treatment is successful  in reducing blood pressure, no further treatment may be necessary; however,  the continuation  of the no-added-salt diet  and more frequent prenatal care may be necessary.
 
For women who do not respond to early treatment, or those with more severe gestational hypertension symptoms, the doctor may recommend a stay  in the hospital for a couple of days  to see if symptoms improve in a more controlled environment.
 
For women experiencing more severe gestational hypertension,  the doctor may also begin blood pressure  medication. For women who are more than 36 weeks pregnant (or those women whose symptoms cannot be controlled), the doctor may recommend delivering the baby. 

Effects of Gestational Hypertension 

Women who develop mild gestational hypertension after 37 weeks have pregnancy outcomes similar to those  of pregnant women who have normal blood pressure, except they have an increased rate of induced labor and a cesarean section delivery. 
 
Women with severe gestational hypertension have increased rates of: 

• Placental abruption 
• Preterm delivery 
• Smaller babies. 

Can It Be Prevented? 

At this point, doctors do not know any ways to prevent gestational hypertension. However, while there is no way of preventing the condition, regular prenatal care will usually catch gestational hypertension early, reducing the chances of gestational complications. 
 
Long-Term Effects of Gestational Hypertension 

The effects of gestational hypertension vary, depending on  the severity of symptoms  and when they occur during pregnancy. For example, gestational hypertension does  not generally increase a woman's risk for developing chronic hypertension or other heart-related problems. Also, in women with normal blood pressure who develop gestational hypertension, short-term complications -- including increased blood pressure -- usually go away within  about 6 weeks after delivery. 
 
Final Thoughts 

Even though gestational hypertension can be serious, most women with the condition have successful pregnancies. Obtaining early and regular prenatal care is the most important thing a woman can do for herself and her baby. 

Notes: DrJMinor

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EditText of this page (last edited January 2, 2010)