Chronic hypertension in pregnancy.

Many women have been diagnosed with hypertension (blood pressure 140/ 90 mm Hg) when they were in their childbearing years. Because the hypertension predates the pregnancy, it is called chronic hypertension. This type of hypertension complicates at least 5% of all pregnancies. When managed appropriately, most women with chronic hypertension can experience healthy pregnancies and give birth to healthy babies. To accomplish this goal, it is important that women with chronic hypertension let their doctors know when they are planning a pregnancy so that they can receive pregnancy counseling and so that adjustments to antihypertensive medications can be made if needed.