Vascular Function and Serum Lipids in Women with Spontaneous Preterm Delivery and Term Controls.

Spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD) is associated with a twofold increased risk of future maternal cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that women with sPTD would demonstrate greater vascular dysfunction postpartum compared to women with term delivery. In a case-controlled, matched pilot study, we enrolled 20 women with sPTD (gestation ≤34 weeks), and 20 term control women (gestation ≥39 weeks) were matched for age (±5 years), parity, ethnicity, and route of delivery.

Postpartum Hypertension: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Management.

Importance: Postpartum hypertension complicates approximately 2% of pregnancies and, similar to antepartum severe hypertension, can have devastating consequences including maternal death.

Objective: This review aims to increase the knowledge and skills of women's health care providers in understanding, diagnosing, and managing hypertension in the postpartum period.

Results: Hypertension complicating pregnancy, including postpartum, is defined as systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater and/or diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater on 2 or more occasions at least 4 hours apart.

Oral labetalol compared to oral nifedipine for postpartum hypertension: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To determine whether oral labetalol is associated with a shorter time to blood pressure control compared to oral extended release nifedipine for management of persistent postpartum hypertension.

Study Design: This randomized controlled trial conducted between June 2014 and June 2015 included women who delivered at ≥32 weeks' gestation with persistent postpartum hypertension (sustained blood pressure ≥150/100 mmHg) requiring an oral antihypertensive agent. We included women with gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or chronic hypertension not previously on medication.

Pregnancies complicated by both preeclampsia and growth restriction between 34 and 37 weeks' gestation are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.

Objective: To determine whether adverse outcomes were more common in late preterm pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and growth restriction compared to those affected by preeclampsia alone.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of 8927 singleton pregnancies with preeclampsia. Pregnancies with small for gestational age (SGA) neonates (birth weight <10th percentile) were compared to those appropriate for gestational age (AGA) neonates.

Risks of parenteral antihypertensive therapy for the treatment of severe maternal hypertension are low.

Objective: To determine whether the incidence of hypotension or adverse fetal heart tracing (FHT) category change differed following antepartum administration of intravenous (IV) labetalol versus hydralazine.

Methods: Blood pressure and FHT categories were assessed one hour before and after medication administration. Hypotension was defined as ≥30% reduction in baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) or SBP <90 mmHg.