The safety of antihypertensives for treatment of pregnancy hypertension

This review addresses the maternal and perinatal benefits and risks of antihypertensive therapy in pregnancy. It covers the diagnosis of hypertension in pregnancy (with a brief discussion of ambulatory blood pressure measurement) followed by both the general principles of management of pregnancy hypertension and the specifics of individual antihypertensive drugs and drug classes. Discussion is focused on quantitative overviews of randomised, controlled trials, although observational literature is also discussed, particularly in reference to the potential teratogenicity of agents and the safety of their administration to nursing mothers. The treatment of severe hypertension is addressed separately from the treatment of mild-to-moderate hypertension, for which the maternal and fetal risks are substantially different.