Abstract

Pre-eclampsia is a common complication of late pregnancy and may endanger the life of the mother or her child. The cause is unknown and treatment is aimed at correcting the manifestations of the disease empirically. The signs are hypertension, oedema and proteinuria, and one of these, the oedema, can often be reduced by a thiazide diuretic. In some studies^1–3 but not in others^4–6 thiazides have also been reported to lower the blood pressure. Proteinuria persists and may worsen⁷ and the perinatal mortality is not improved⁸ with thiazide therapy. The placental damage associated with pre-eclampsia and its effects on the foetus are apparently not reversed when the oedema and hypertension are reduced.