[Use of alphamethyldopa during the pregnancy-puerperium cycle in hypertensive patients and evaluation of their offspring up to their 3rd year of life].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of alpha methyldopa in pregnant women with mild to moderate arterial hypertension as well as in the offsprings.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Thirty one pregnant hypertensive women, mean age 31 years, six (10.35%) primigravids, after the 12th week of pregnancy received alpha methyldopa, initial 250 mg/day, weekly increased depending to the response. Blood pressure was measured in supine and standing positions and the patients were submitted to a laboratory evaluation including: hemoglobin, hematocrit, leukocytes, platelets, urea, creatinine, glucose, transaminases, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, uric acid, Coombs, creatinine clearance, as well as obstetric ultrasonography and electrocardiogram. The labor, childbirth conditions and puerperal evolution, were evaluated as well as the development of the offspring up 3 years of age.

RESULTS

Alpha methyldopa was administered for an average period of 14.2 weeks, mean dose of 685 mg/day. In thirty patients (96.77%) blood pressure was efficiently controlled. Clinical and laboratory adverse experiences were not observed. The use of drug was not associated with abnormalities during the labor, in the puerperium, in the newborn and during the development of the children up 3 years of age.

CONCLUSION

Alpha methyldopa is efficacious and well tolerated in the control of mild to moderate hypertension in pregnant women, and is not associated with unfavorable consequences during the pregnancy, puerperal cycle an in the development of the children in the study period.