With mild chronic hypertension, without other complications, mothers and babies do as well as those who do not have this condition.
Chronic hypertension can increase the risk of a woman s developing pre-eclampsia in pregnancy.
Severe chronic hypertension can restrict the baby s ability to grow to full size. Some babies may deliver or need to be delivered before full-term . There is a small increased risk of the placenta separating from the wall of the uterus. Pregnancy does not cause chronic hypertension, but a woman s tendency to have high blood pressure may be first discovered during pregnancy. Treatment More testing is often done during a pregnancy complicated by high blood pressure than for women without this condition.