Abstract

Raised arterial blood pressure is common in pregnancy. Usually it is due solely to the pregnancy and resolves within days or weeks of delivery (pregnancy-induced hypertension – PIH). Occasionally it is chronic hypertension which predates or begins during pregnancy; it persists after delivery. In some women it is a mixture of both, with pregnancy-induced hypertension superimposed on existing chronic hypertension. In this article we discuss the risks to mother and fetus of hypertension in pregnancy and review its prevention and management.