Atenolol has been studied prospectively in the management of ten patients with essential hypertension during pregnancy. Median supine BP fell significantly from 156/98 mmHg before treatment to 128/82 mmHg at term. Atenolol did not suppress cardiotocographic signs of foetal distress. Although there was one intrauterine death, the remaining nine babies had a median Apgar score at birth of 9 and a median weight which was 82% of the gestational mean. There were no cases of neonatal bradycardia or respiratory depression and the only case of hypoglycaemia was in a dysmature baby. These findings justify a formal study of beta-adrenoceptor blocker therapy in hypertensive diseases of pregnancy.
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Rubin et al. (1982) studied this question.