National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health

Hypertension in Pregnancy

Successive confidential enquires into Maternal Deaths have highlighted hypertension and its complications in pregnancy as significant factors. In addition, the condition can lead to considerable mortality and morbidity for babies.

One reason for the poor outcome is uncertainty about the identification and management of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

 This guideline will cover:

1. Information and advice for women who have existing hypertension and are pregnant or planning to become pregnant; and those who are at increased risk of developing hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.

2. Assessment and management of women who present with hypertension without proteinuria during pregnancy (gestational hypertension).

3. Assessment of women who present with or develop hypertension and proteinuria during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia), and their management before admission critical care level 2 setting during the peripartum period.

4. Management of pre-eclampsia and its complications in a critical care setting.

5. Assessment and management of women with pre-existing hypertension during their pregnancy and the postnatal period.

6. Information, advice and support for women and healthcare professionals following discharge to primary care following a pregnancy complicated by hypertension.

7. Care of the fetus during a pregnancy complicated by hypertensive disorder.

8. The Guideline Development Group will consider making recommendations on the principal complementary and alternative interventions or approaches to care relevant to the guideline topic.

9. The Guideline Development Group will take reasonable steps to identify ineffective interventions and approaches to care.

The guideline will not cover:

1. The detection of hypertension during pregnancy. This is covered in ‘Antenatal care’, NICE clinical guideline 62 (2008).

2. Screening strategies for risk factor identification.

For more information on the Hypertension in Pregnancy guideline, please see the NICE website.

For general enquiries about this guideline please e-mail: enquiries@ncc-wch.org.uk. 

Page updated 27 August 2008