New research has revealed that 10% of new moms are diagnosed with high blood pressure in the year after childbirth.
Women without a history of blood pressure issues were diagnosed with high blood pressure in the year after childbirth, according to a research article published in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.
In the analysis of more than 2,400 women, nearly a quarter were diagnosed more than six weeks after delivery – a time when many women have stopped receiving follow-up care.
10% of new moms diagnosed with high blood pressure in year after childbirth
These findings have implications for postpartum care, particularly among women without a history of high blood pressure.
High blood pressure after childbirth, called postpartum hypertension, is typically discovered within six weeks of delivery – either immediately after childbirth or during a woman's last postpartum clinic visit at 4-6 weeks after delivery.
Data is limited for the time beyond six weeks since most studies have relied on blood pressure measurements during delivery or hospitalization, which includes just the first few days postpartum and captures only the most severe cases.
In severe cases, postpartum hypertension is associated with life-threatening complications, including stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and more.
Later life repercussions
And, while it is well established that women with high blood pressure before or during pregnancy are at risk for cardiovascular disease later in life, very few studies have assessed cardiovascular risk for women who develop high blood pressure for the first time, or new-onset hypertension, after childbirth.
The study aimed to estimate how common new-onset postpartum hypertension is among a racially diverse population.
The researchers also wanted to determine contributing factors so healthcare professionals can identify pregnant patients at risk.
Data analysis
Researchers evaluated medical records from 8,374 deliveries with a pregnancy length of at least 20 weeks from 2016-2018 at Boston Medical Center.
Researchers assessed the risk of high blood pressure among the 2,465 women in the group who had no record of pregnancy-related high blood pressure or any prior history of chronic high blood pressure.
Participants were aged 18 and older, with 54% identifying as non-Hispanic Black, 18% who identified as Hispanic or Latino, and they had all received prenatal care and delivered their baby at the same hospital.
The data analysis found:
- 298 women with no prior history of high blood pressure developed hypertension in the year after delivery
- Most postpartum high blood pressure diagnoses occurred shortly after delivery, yet 22% of cases were diagnosed more than six weeks after delivery
- Risk factors for new-onset postpartum high blood pressure included women aged 35 years or older, delivery via cesarean, or being a current or former cigarette smoker
- Women with all three risk factors had a 29% risk of developing new-onset postpartum high blood pressure, and the risk was elevated to 36% among women who also self-identified as non-Hispanic Black.
Future research
The researchers add that future research should aim to understand adverse outcomes associated with postpartum hypertension, such as hospital readmissions, subsequent pregnancy complications and cardiovascular disease.