High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Summary If you are pregnant, high blood pressure can cause problems for you and your unborn baby. You may have had high blood pressure before you got pregnant. Or you may get it once you are pregnant – a condition called gestational hypertension. Either one can cause low birth weight or premature delivery of the baby. Controlling your blood pressure during pregnancy and getting regular prenatal care are important for the health of you and your baby. Treatments for high blood pressure in pregnancy may include close monitoring of the baby, lifestyle changes, and certain medicines. Some pregnant women with high blood pressure develop preeclampsia. It’s a sudden increase in blood pressure after the 20th week of pregnancy. It can be life-threatening for both you and the unborn baby. There is no proven way to prevent it. Most women who have signs of preeclampsia are closely monitored to lessen or avoid complications. The only way to “cure” preeclampsia is to deliver the baby. NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Specifics Chronic Hypertension in Pregnancy American Heart Association Preeclampsia American Heart Association Pregnancy Complications: Preeclampsia March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Pre-Eclampsia National Institutes of Health Array Eclampsia HELLP syndrome Preeclampsia Preeclampsia – self-care Genetics Genetics Home Reference: antiphospholipid syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: preeclampsia National Library of Medicine Videos and Tutorials Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Preeclampsia Related Issues HELLP Syndrome American Academy of Family Physicians High Blood Pressure and Women American Heart Association Pregnancy Complications: HELLP Syndrome March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Pregnancy Complications: Liver Disorders March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation What Are the Risks of Preeclampsia and Eclampsia to the Fetus? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development What Are the Risks of Preeclampsia and Eclampsia to the Mother? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Start Here High Blood Pressure and Pregnancy Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Preeclampsia and Eclampsia National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Preeclampsia and High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension American Academy of Family Physicians Diagnosis and Tests How Do Health Care Providers Diagnose Preeclampsia, Eclampsia, and HELLP Syndrome? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Statistics and Research How Many Women Are Affected by or at Risk of Preeclampsia? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Preeclampsia Research National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Find an Expert National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Journal Articles High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Living With Surviving Bed Rest Nemours Foundation Symptoms What Are the Symptoms of Preeclampsia, Eclampsia, and HELLP Syndrome? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Treatments and Therapies What Are the Treatments for Preeclampsia, Eclampsia, and HELLP Syndrome? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
