Beta-blockers appear to be no more effective and probably equally as safe .
It is unusual for women to change drugs due to side effects .
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS 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 .
Large r and omised 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 .
BACKGROUND Antihypertensives , such as beta-blockers , are used for pregnancy hypertension in the belief these will improve outcome for mother and baby .
OBJECTIVES To assess whether oral beta-blockers are better than placebo , or no beta-blocker , and have advantages over other antihypertensives , for women with mild to moderate pregnancy hypertension .
Does labetalol influence the development of proteinuria in pregnancy hypertension? A randomised controlled study.
It is the development of proteinuria in pregnancy-induced hypertension which is associated with an increased perinatal mortality . There is some evidence to suggest that labetalol may diminish the amount of proteinuria in patients who have already developed proteinuric pre-eclampsia . A r and omised controlled study design was used to investigate whether labetalol treatment , started when a persistent diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mmHg was observed , influenced the subsequent development of proteinuria . One hundred and fourteen women with singleton pregnancies and hypertension in the absence of proteinuria were r and omised to receive either labetalol or no antihypertensive therapy .  At recruitment maternal age , blood pressure and gestation  were similar in both the labetalol and control groups . There was no difference in the frequency , quantity or timing of subsequent proteinuria between treatment and control groups . Overall 34 % of primigravidae and 10 % of parous women developed proteinuria .  Labetalol did , however , control the blood pressure in 45 of the 51 treated women ( 88 % ) within 24 h. This effect was often shortlived requiring dose escalation after 3 to 5 days in the majority of cases . Labetalol was well tolerated and no significant maternal toxicity was noted
Beta-blockers appear to be no more effective and probably equally as safe .
It is unusual for women to change drugs due to side effects .
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS 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 .
Large r and omised 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 .
BACKGROUND Antihypertensives , such as beta-blockers , are used for pregnancy hypertension in the belief these will improve outcome for mother and baby .
OBJECTIVES To assess whether oral beta-blockers are better than placebo , or no beta-blocker , and have advantages over other antihypertensives , for women with mild to moderate pregnancy hypertension .