Maternal and neonatal outcomes of antihypertensive treatment in
pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study
Abstract
Objective: To compare maternal and infant outcomes with different
antihypertensive medications in pregnancy Design: Retrospective cohort
study Setting: Kaiser Permanente, a large US healthcare system.
Population: Women aged 15-49 years with a singleton birth from 2005-2014
treated for hypertension. Methods: We identified medication exposure
from automated pharmacy data based on the earliest dispensing after the
first prenatal visit. Using logistic regression, we calculated weighted
outcome prevalences, adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence
intervals, with inverse probability of treatment weighting to address
confounding. Main outcome measures: Small for gestational age (SGA),
preterm delivery, neonatal and maternal intensive care unit (ICU)
admission, preeclampsia, and stillbirth or termination at >
20 weeks. Results: Among 6346 deliveries, 87% with chronic
hypertension, the risk of SGA (birthweight < 10th percentile)
was lower with methyldopa than labetalol (prevalence 13.6% vs. 16.6%;
aOR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.92). For birthweight < 3rd
percentile the aOR was 0.57 (0.39 to 0.80). Compared with labetalol
(26.0%), risk of preterm delivery was similar for methyldopa (26.5%;
aOR 1.10 [0.95 to 1.27]) and slightly higher for nifedipine (28.5%;
aOR 1.25 [1.06 to 1.46]) and other β-blockers (31.2%; aOR 1.58
[1.07 to 2.23]). NICU admission was more common with nifedipine than
labetalol (25.9% vs. 23.3%, aOR 1.21 [1.02 to 1.43]) but not
elevated with methyldopa. Risks of other outcomes did not differ by
medication. Conclusions: Risk of most outcomes was similar comparing
labetalol, methyldopa and nifedipine. SGA risk was substantially lower
for methyldopa, suggesting this medication may warrant further
consideration.