Improvement in control of maternal blood pressure with use of beta-blockers would be worthwhile only if it were reflected in substantive benefits for mother and/or baby, and none have been clearly demonstrated. The effect of beta-blockers on perinatal outcome is uncertain; the worrying trend to an increase in SGA infants is partly dependent on one small outlying trial. Large randomised trials are needed to determine whether antihypertensive therapy in general (rather than beta-blocker therapy specifically) results in greater benefit than risk, for treatment of mild-moderate pregnancy hypertension. If so, then it would be appropriate to consider which antihypertensive is best, and beta-blockers should be evaluated.
[Note: the seventeen reports in the awaiting classification section of the review may alter the conclusions of the review once assessed.]
Comparison of the alpha and beta blocking drug, labetalol, and methyl dopa in the treatment of moderate and severe pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Twentysix women with pregnancy-induced hypertension have been randomly treated with either labetalol or Aldomet. A more satisfactory control of blood pressure was obtained with labetalol with minimal side-effects. After two weeks of treatment with labetalol renal function had significantly improved with a markedly lower incidence of proteinuria. More patients went into spontaneous labour following labetalol than following Aldomet; the Bishop score was also higher in this group. No adverse effects attributable to labetalol were noted in the baby either ante- or post-natally.