Maternal and fetal outcome in women with gestational hypertension in comparison to gestational proteinuria: A 3-year observational study

Objective: To assess the maternal and fetal outcome in women with gestational hypertension in comparison to gestational proteinuria.

Methods: This was a prospective 3-year observational study carried out at Menoufia University Hospital and included 106 patients with gestational hypertension and 124 patients with gestational proteinuria after 20 weeks’ gestation. Enrolled patients were followed to assess the maternal and fetal outcome. Data were collected and tabulated.

Results: There was a highly significant difference between the two groups regarding the development of preeclampsia (PE) and persistence of the condition after the end of the puerperium (p < 0.001) with more women progressed to PE and lower number suffered persistence of the disorder in the gestational hypertension group. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding other maternal complications (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference between the two groups regarding preterm delivery, admission to NICU, and neonatal mortality (p < 0.05) which were higher in the gestational proteinuria group. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding other fetal and neonatal complications (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: Although gestational hypertension progressed more frequently to PE than gestational proteinuria, poorer fetal outcome was more encountered in women with gestational proteinuria. Larger studies are warranted to confirm these findings.