Background We aimed to study the maternal characteristics and obstetric and neonatal outcomes in pregnant mothers with chronic hypertension (CHTN) compared to non-CHTN. Methods The study was a population-based cohort study, and a PEARL-Peristat Study (PPS) for the year of 2017. There were 20,210 total births including 19,762 singleton and 448 multiple births. We excluded multiple gestations from the analysis as they differ in fetal growth, duration of gestation and have a higher rate of obstetric and neonatal complications. We compared the maternal characteristics of mothers with pre-existing HTN with non-hypertensive mothers and studied the obstetric and neonatal outcomes including cesarean section, stillbirths, prematurity, macrosomia and postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Results We identified 223 births of mothers with essential HTN. The overall prevalence of CHTN in our population was 1.1% (223/20,210). In regard to maternal characteristics, women with CHTN were at or above 35 years of age at the time of delivery 58.9% compared to non-CHTN women 18.7%, P-value <0.001. Pre-existing diabetes was found more in women with CHTN 15.1% compared to non-CHTN women 1.9%, P-value <0.001; while obesity was found in 64% of women with CHTN compared to 32.5% in non-CHTN women, P-value <0.001. Preterm birth was noted in 26% compared to 8% in CHTN compared to non-CHTN women, respectively, P-value <0.001. The rate of stillbirth was similar between the two groups, 0.9% compared to 0.6% in CHTN compared to non-CHTN women, respectively, P-value 0.369. Conclusion Hypertensive mothers have multiple other comorbidities. When compared to the general population, they are older, parous, diabetic and obese with an increased risk of preterm birth and cesarean deliveries. Lifestyle modification, extensive pre-conceptional counseling and multidisciplinary antenatal care are required for such a high-risk group.
Keywords: Middle East; chronic hypertension; incidence; outcome; pregnancy.