Blood pressure in the puerperium

Blood pressure was measured by random zero sphygmomanometer in the morning and afternoon for 5 days after normal delivery in a group of 136 previously normotensive women. The number of women studied each day varied from 32 to 125. The afternoon blood pressure was higher than the morning blood pressure (differences: 1.7 mmHg systolic, 2.6 mmHg diastolic; P less than 0.05). Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures rose for the first 4 days after delivery. The average rise over the whole period was about 6 mmHg systolic and 4 mmHg diastolic (P less than 0.05). A considerable number of previously normotensive women displayed elevations of blood pressure in the puerperium. Twelve per cent of all patients exceeded a diastolic blood pressure of 100 mmHg.