Classification and diagnosis of hypertension in pregnancy

Hypertensive disorders are a frequently encountered complication of pregnancy and remain a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality [1]. In the United Kingdom the number of maternal deaths from hypertension in pregnancy have fallen steadily over the past few decades, as have the complication rates [2]. The Confidential Enquiry into Stillbirths and Deaths in Infancy report cites one in six stillbirths as occurring in pregnancies complicated by maternal hypertension. Hypertensive disorders vary from mild gestational hypertension to severe preeclampsia and have a number of possible etiologies. Interventions to prevent hypertensive disorders in pregnancy including preeclampsia in the general population have been disappointing and the mainstay of treatment involves close antenatal supervision and timely delivery of mother and baby with a multidisciplinary team approach to prevent deterioration of the condition and subsequent morbidity and mortality [3].