A comprehensive review of the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in pregnancy based on the latest guidelines of the American Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology

The medical and surgical condition of mother during pregnancy can be affected on prenatal morbidity and mortality. Physician must have knowledge about the effects of pregnancy on the course of disease as well as the effects of disease on outcome of pregnancy and treatment of disease during pregnancy. Hypertension is one of the common difficulties and complications during pregnancy, which leads to hospitalization. Blood pressure disorders occur in approximately 10% of pregnancies in the United States, and it accounts for 12.3% of maternal deaths. Hypertension in pregnancy is an important alarm that carries risks for both the mother and the fetus. In some cases, these complications can be life-threatening risks for both. For example, preeclampsia ranks among the top four leading causes of maternal mortality, when it is diagnosed and treated correctly it is possible to prevent adverse consequences. There are different types of high blood pressure in pregnancy that can be related to pregnancy or not related to pregnancy, and the diagnosis and management of each of them are different from each other. The purpose of this study was to provide a brief overview of definitions, diagnostic methods, risk factors, symptoms, side effects, drug and non-drug treatments, and prevention of various types of hypertension during pregnancy based on the latest American Obstetrics and Gynecology Guidelines and the latest edition of Beckman and Ling's Obstetrics and Gynecology.