Complications

Complication
Timeframe
Likelihood
short term
medium

The risk is high if hypertension develops early in pregnancy.

Increased BPs adversely affect renal function, leading to proteinuria. A urine albumin level of >300 mg in 24 hours with hypertension is diagnostic.

Placental growth factor (PlGF)-based testing, used with standard clinical assessment, can help rule in or rule out pre-eclampsia for women with suspected pre-eclampsia between 20 and 36 weeks plus 6 days of gestation.[29]

Pre-eclampsia

short term
low

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy increase the risk of pregnancy-associated stroke.[61][62] Compared with the first trimester, the rate of stroke is five times higher in the early postpartum period. It can be prevented by management of BP.

Overview of stroke

long term
high

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are associated with short-term vascular complications, as well as earlier and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.[54][55][56]​​[57]​​​​​​​ Other risk factors include early adverse changes in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, and relative hyperandrogenism.[58]

long term
low

Presence of gestational hypertension increases the risk of macrosomia, intrauterine growth restriction (poor fetal growth), stillbirth, caesarean delivery, and admission of the neonate to the intensive care unit. The co-existence of gestational diabetes further increases the risk.[59]

Mean gestational age and mean birth weight tend to be lower.[60]

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