[Evaluation and surveillance of blood pressure during pregnancy]

Abstract

Despite a large body of literature or hypertension in pregnancy, there still is no recognized prognosis factor for this frequent and severe disease. Management still relies on clinical features (occasional blood pressure measurements, weight curve) and appropriate tests including fetal and maternal echodoppler, urinary uric acid, 24 h proteinuria and fetal heart rate monitoring. Recent developments including self measurement and ambulatory monitoring of blood pressure have helped improve follow-up and therapeutic management in high risk pregnancies. By repeating the measurements, these techniques require more intensive medical follow-up and an adapted therapy near the term of pregnancy. They do not however provide a means of predicting outcome or recurrence of preeclampsia. These techniques have effectively been shown to reduce the number and duration of hospitalizations.