A020: The effect of antihypertensive drugs in pregnancy

<sec><st>Aim:</st> To analyze the effects of treatment with diet, Atenolol (Ate), Methyldopa (M.D) or more than one drug (>1D), on the indices of fetal growth and maturation (Capurro test). </sec> <sec><st>Material and methods:</st> Between January 1998 and July 1999 we studied retrospectively 168 pregnancies in hypertensive women, excluding those with secondary causes. The classification of hypertension in pregnancy was based on guidelines of the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy. </sec> <sec><st>Results:</st> One hundred sixty eight women were included in the analysis. The type of treatment used and the obstetric outcome were as follows: (See <cross-ref type="tbl" refid="tb1">Table</cross-ref>) <tbl id="tb1" loc="float"><no>1</no><tblbdy top-stubs="1"><r><c cspan="1" rspan="1"></c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">n</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">Weight (Kg)<cross-ref type="fn" refid="tb1-fn1">1</cross-ref></c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">gestation (w)<cross-ref type="fn" refid="tb1-fn2">2</cross-ref></c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">Capurro (w)<cross-ref type="fn" refid="tb1-fn3">3</cross-ref></c></r><r><c cspan="1" rspan="1">Diet</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">76</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">2972 ± 749</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">36.9 ± 3.1</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">37.9 ± 2.4</c></r><r><c cspan="1" rspan="1">Ate</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">24</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">2421 ± 685</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">35.5 ± 3.2</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">36.9 ± 3.5</c></r><r><c cspan="1" rspan="1">MD</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">30</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">2753 ± 993</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">36.3 ± 3.1</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">37.3 ± 3.3</c></r><r><c cspan="1" rspan="1">>1 D</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">38</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">1952 ± 931</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">33.2 ± 4.5</c><c ca="c" cspan="1" rspan="1">33.6 ± 6.5</c></r></tblbdy><tblfn id="tb1-fn1"><no>1</no> ANOVA p < 0.000 between groups of diet vs Ate, >1 D and MD vs >1D. </tblfn><tblfn id="tb1-fn2"><no>2</no> ANOVA p < 0.000 between groups of diet, MD, vs >1 D. </tblfn><tblfn id="tb1-fn3"><no>3</no> ANOVA p < 0.000 between groups of diet, M.D, Ate. vs >1D. </tblfn></tbl> </sec> <sec><st>Conclusions:</st> According to these data, the effects of hypertension on fetus increased with a more intensive treatment. The use of more than one drug or Atenolol produced a higher grade of fetal growth retardation. </sec>