Key result
Methyldopa and nifedipine normalized maternal blood pressure but did not show clinically significant influence on umbilical artery and fetal cerebral blood flow in mild gestational hypertension.
Why the study?
Does methyldopa or nifedipine improve maternal and fetal hemodynamics in women with mild gestational hypertension during the third pregnancy trimester?
Cohort (n=84)
Does methyldopa or nifedipine improve maternal and fetal hemodynamics in women with mild gestational hypertension during the third pregnancy trimester?
In women with mild gestational hypertension, nifedipine improves uterine artery hemodynamics, but neither nifedipine nor methyldopa significantly affects fetal cerebral or umbilical blood flow.
Reassures on fetal Doppler safety with these agents in mild cases; hypothesis-generating for optimal therapy and RCTs.
OBJECTIVE: Investigation of methyldopa and nifedipine effects on maternal and fetal hemodynamics in women with mild gestational hypertension during the third pregnancy trimester. METHODS: A prospective cohort study. Methyldopa effects were followed in 28 patients, and nifedipine effects in another 28 patients. There were also 28 healthy controls. RESULTS: Uterine artery blood velocity waveform indices were improved only by nifedipine. Neither of the drugs affected the indices in umbilical and fetal middle cerebral artery. Both drugs normalized maternal blood pressure and pulse. CONCLUSIONS: Methyldopa and nifedipine did not show clinically significant influence on umbilical artery and fetal cerebral blood flow.
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Folić et al. (2011) conducted a cohort in Mild gestational hypertension (n=84). Methyldopa and nifedipine vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Uteroplacental and fetal hemodynamics (uterine artery, umbilical, and fetal middle cerebral artery blood velocity waveform indices). Methyldopa and nifedipine normalized maternal blood pressure but did not show clinically significant influence on umbilical artery and fetal cerebral blood flow in mild gestational hypertension.
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