A prospective controlled trial of metoprolol-hydralazine treatment in hypertension during pregnancy.

In an open, controlled trial, treatment with a combination of metoprolol and hydralazine was compared with non-pharmacological management of mild and moderate hypertension in pregnancy. One hundred and sixty-one women participated in the study. The drug-treated group showed significantly better blood pressure control than the group not given antihypertensives. Induction of labor before term, because of maternal or fetal complications, was somewhat more frequent in the control group. Nine women in the treatment group and 5 in the control group developed albuminuria. Three infants in the drug-treated group died perinatally, and one in the control group. The outcome for the newborns was similar in both groups concerning birth weight, head circumference and Apgar score and in the frequencies of respiratory distress, bradycardia and hypoglycemia. The better blood pressure control achieved with these drugs makes it possible to treat the patient at home and reduce the risk of emergency delivery, but treatment does not seem to be mandatory for a good outcome of the pregnancy in cases of mild and moderate hypertension during pregnancy.