Morbidity and mortality from postpartum hypertension in Nigerian women

Abstract

Two hundred and ten patients who were normotensive during pregnancy and labour but developed hypertension during puerperium have been studied. Two groups were identified with this unexpected postpartum hypertension. Although the patients in group A who had earlier onset hypertension were younger and mainly nulliparas, there was no significant difference between both groups with respect to age, serum creatinine, blood urea, blood pressures and presence of abnormal urine sediment at the onset of illness. The incidence of postpartum hypertension was 3.5. per cent; there was remission of hypertension in 8 patients (3.8%) without treatment, recurrence in 17 (8%) while cardiac failure occurred in (5.4%), cerebrovascular accident in 3 (1.4%) and acute oliguric renal failure in 3 (1.4%). Overall mortality was 0.9 per cent while persistent or chronic hypertension was observed in 52 (23.8%) Postpartum hypertension is a definite clinical entity with significant morbidity and mortality. Frequent monitoring of blood pressure in the puerperium is advocated to avoid or reduce cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal complications of postpartum hypertension in susceptible women.